Colne Cricket Club: Historic cricket club asks hard-pressed council to transfer of land worth £20,000 for free

Colne Cricket and Bowling Club has asked hard-pressed Pendle Council to transfer the land at Byron Road, which is currently used for visitor car parking.

This is so the club can apply for grants and focus on investing cash in its other facilities.

The club, formed in 1830, has recently become a charity with trustees. But it needs to own the freehold or have a long leasehold of the car park land for best results with grant bids.

Now, Pendle councillors need to consider various factors. These include future rental income for the council, alternative income from selling the wedge of land by Byron Road, club and community benefits from a free transfer and possibly restricting the site’s future use.

A report for Pendle s Colne committee states: “The borough council is the owner of land off Bryon Road in Colne, which is rough surfaced land and provides car parking for visitors to the ground.

“The land is currently leased to Colne Cricket Club by a lease, dating from 1988. It had an initial annual rent of £150. The lease has expired and the club is currently ‘holding over”, having protection under the Landlord and Tenant Act. The tenancy continues until one side terminates the agreement by a notice to quit.

“The cricket club has a right to renew the lease. The rent increased in 2004 to £246 per year and it appears the rent level may have been kept reasonable to assist this community asset.”

The report adds: “The trustees have recently secured charitable status, so that they can make applications for grant funding to improve facilities at the ground. However, they would be required to own the freehold or long leasehold interest in the land which will benefit from a grant.

“The trustees have asked if the land can be transferred to the club at nil consideration, so that they can invest all monies into the ground.”

Councillors on the area committee are being asked if they are prepared to agree a recommendation to the executive. Also whether to transfer the land at ‘nil consideration’ or whether to seek the market value, estimated at £20,000 for parking use with a restrictive covenant, or to transfer it at a reduced level.

Covenants could be included within a transfer to restrict use to car parking for the club only and to prevent any future sale for other uses.

If councillors support a transfer they are also being asked to delegate authority to a senior Pendle Council director to agree the details.

The request comes at a time when all Lancashire councils are thinking about publicly-owned land, property and assets as they face likely reorganisation in 2028. Councils could be scrapped or merged so they are reviewing future income and expenses, ownership and maintenance of land, buildings and other assets, budgets and community needs.