THE former owner of Basingstoke Town Football Club has escalated an appeal against the council for listing the Camrose football ground as an asset of community value.

Centerprise director, Rafi Razzak, under the company Basingstoke Town Ltd, has launched a challenge to HM Courts & Tribunal Service.

The Winchester Road stadium was granted the status of an asset of community value by Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council last year.

The authority rejected an appeal by Mr Razzak, submitted on behalf of him by Phillips Solicitors, earlier this year. 

Now he has taken further action, which the chairman of Basingstoke Town Community Football Club has described as a "screw you" to the people of Basingstoke.

As previously revealed in The Gazette, fans claim they were pressured into selling their shares in Basingstoke Town Ltd in 2016.

This meant they were powerless when Mr Razzak came to evict the club three years later in 2019 before attempting to push through a planning application to redevelop the land, through his company Basron. Mr Razzak denies the claims.

This latest development Mr White said is "wrongful" and "mindblowing".

Mr Razzak has been contacted for comment.

"The club was systematically run into the ground over a number of years. The destruction of the Camrose has left a huge gap in the borough of Basingstoke and the arrogance to claim otherwise is quite startling," he said.

He added: "It is a complete disregard for our community and a real 'screw you' moment to the great people of Basingstoke - to their families and future generations."

Basingstoke Town Community Football Club now has until May 31 to respond to the appeal process.

The challenge of the asset of community value is separate from the appeals raised by Mr Razzak's company Basron regarding the rejected planning appeals.