Club cries: "Foul!"
LARNE FC has challenged councillors to explain why they appear to be ready to evict the club.
In an open letter to the local authority this week, club chairman Archie Smyth also asks why it has engaged a barrister "to see if there is a loophole in our lease".
The council has sold Inver Park football ground to Tesco for 5.1 million and intends to use the proceeds to help fund a new multi-sport stadium on a site yet to be identified. The deal is subject to vacant possession, however, and the football club has insisted it will not be moved.
Larne FC backs rival developer GML Estates in its bid to build a food store on the adjoining bleach works site. In return for a third-acre at Inver Park, GML would build a new stand and provide a synthetic pitch, training pitch and social club at the ground, which would remain in public ownership.
The Larne Times has reported previously that the council commissioned specialist legal advice to examine the lease and that a review of rent at Inver Park has also been undertaken.
Mr Smyth has now asked elected members: "Are councillors really representing the best interests of the people of Larne and have they satisfied themselves that, even if it were possible, evicting Larne Football Club is in the best interests of ratepayers? Is it the people and ratepayers of the borough, or a commercial retailer?"
Read the full story in this week's Larne Times.
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Weather for Larne
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
