Wrexham Football Club owners to vote on new town centre training ground plan

The owners of Wrexham Football Club have formally unveiled their plans for a new training ground in Wrexham town centre before a democratic vote to approve the move.

Currently the football club train on the 9 Acre field, however Wrexham Council are proposing to build a primary school on the field and thus would leave the club homeless. As we have previously reported the Council have offered a lease to the club to possibly use a section of the nearby old Groves school field for training purposes.

New documents show the lease has been firmed up as being for 99 years at a peppercorn rent, and the agreement will include a provision to allow the club to use the 9 Acre for the foreseeable future until the effective swap is complete.

The deal is not straightforward with several hurdles in place, with a covenant on the Groves land, as well as planning permission needing to be granted.

The agreement with the council states there will be an attempt to overturn the covenant on the land to allow the proposed training ground use, as well as noting there will be a break clause in favour of Wrexham AFC at 10 years, 25 years, 50 years and 75 year points.

The proposed training ground will not involve the listed Groves school building.

We understand an attempt by the club to purchase the freehold had been rebuffed, with the council preferring to use the lease method to protect the land from possible nefarious property developers. As a result the lease will prohibit the subletting or “parting with possession of the property” apart for community sporting purposes.

The council appear keen to help the club vacate the 9 Acre with fees and ‘responsibility’ for the removal of the covenant being at their door, a possibly expensive process, however first £10k payment to any beneficiaries will be borne by the football club. The documents state that process could take a year and a half and the council “would consult with local residents as part of the process”.

The plans are explained as a benefit to the club, “We would have an asset in which we can invest and improve over time and have our own training ground again. Wrexham AFC continue to train in the centre of the town and the community of Wrexham. Due to the proximity to the Racecourse we can continue to change and serve food at the Racecourse and limit the amount of cost required to set up the site.”

The relationship between the club and the council is described as ‘great’, and is seen as the ‘best option’ by both parties.

There is an ‘urgency’ to the plans, with the Groves option only put forward, explained because “There are no other sites available for lease or purchase of which we are aware close to the town centre” and “There are no other sites available in the area suitable for professional training”.

The documents include a breakdown of the investment required to bring the current field up to scratch, however it is noted “we do not have to do this all at once”.

The cost to replicate the facilities, the lowest possible spend, at the 9 Acre is £110k however that figure is based pre-soil sample calculations – work that appeared to start recently.

The plans will be put to the vote of members of the Wrexham Supporters Trust, who own the football club, at a special meeting on Saturday the 1st of August which due to the pandemic will be held virtually via the Zoom platform.

If the plan is approved the next steps will see work start on planning applications and discharging or modifying the restrictive covenant.

You can read an archive of stories regarding the Groves site here.