A DECISION on the future of the Camrose is drawing ever closer as next week a government inspector will hear evidence to determine what will happen to the stadium.

The Camrose stadium was the home of Basingstoke Town Football Club for more than 70 years until it was evicted by its former owner and chairman, Rafi Razzak. The club is currently playing at the Winklebury Football Complex.

Mr Razzak and his company Basron are fighting refusals to build an 85-bed housing estate and care home on the ground.

READ MORE: Camrose protesters hope to follow in the footsteps of Bury FC

The borough council said that the applications were rejected because the development did not meet the authority’s CN8 policy - that the loss of the Camrose stadium outweighed the benefits of the development.

From Tuesday next week a Planning Inspectorate hearing will be held in Basingstoke, where Mr Razzak and his company, the football club and supporters can have their say on the applications.

Ahead of the hearing, current chairman Jack Miller said: “Our argument is that Winklebury is not a replacement for the Camrose, it’s not our own, it has its limitations – we can’t use the facilities for all of our community ventures and we rent the pitch, the same as other teams do there.

“We are really grateful for being able to use Hampshire FA’s Winklebury Football Complex, it has been a lifeline for us, but we are going to outgrow it.

SEE ALSO: Former chairman of the Camrose stadium has his say on BBC Radio Berkshire

“The football club needs a home of its own and the Camrose has not been replaced.”

Mr Miller said it is not just about the football, it is also about the clubhouse at the Camrose that was open for groups to use which was “thriving” before the club was kicked out of the stadium.

“The Camrose is our home, we don’t have a home now, we don’t have a Clubhouse, and a town and a football club of this size needs a home,” Mr Miller said.

The long-time supporter said that currently the club is doing well both on and off the pitch at the moment, but it has aspirations of promotion and growing the club and “we’d need more seating and more improvements on a stadium that isn’t ours”.

The hearing will start on March 22 and is expected to last up to three days.

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