Castleford Tigers’ future ‘at risk’ without £12m stadium funding, club warns

The club has warned that its Super League status will be in jeopardy unless major improvements go ahead.

Councillors have been recommended to approve a planning application which includes demolishing the club’s east stand and building a new all-seater replacement.

But funds for the revamp will only be released if plans to build a new £200m employment site are also agreed at the same time.

Axiom Yorkshire says the development, next to junction 32 of the M62, will provide more than 1,830 permanent full-time jobs.

The company will contribute £12.2m towards the stadium improvements if the scheme is given the green light.

Wakefield Council’s planning and highways committee is expected to vote on both applications at a meeting on Thursday February 15.

A 156-page report to councillors lays out the pros and cons of development for the town’s residents.

Officers say “several factors weigh heavily both against and in support” of the proposal.

The number of residents in favour outweigh objectors by almost ten to one.

The council has received 2,101 letters supporting the Axiom plans.

Those for say it will provide long-term security for the town’s professional rugby league club and bring much-needed work to an area which has unemployment rates significantly above the national average.

A total of 224 people have called for the plan, which includes building across 48 hectares of greenbelt land, to be rejected.

Concerns have been raised over the impact on climate change, local ecology and wildlife habitats.

The desperate need for the stadium upgrade is outlined in an open letter to the council from the club’s players, management and coaching staff.

It says the work would ensure the ground is upgraded from category B to A.

Without the A grading, Tigers would not be not be immune from relegation from Super League unlike most of their main competitors.

If relegated, the club says it would be would be ‘at risk’ of not being able to continue as a fully professional sports club as TV rights deal shares would be would be lost and match day attendance figures could dwindle.

The club says the future of its charitable arm, Castleford Tigers Foundation, would also be jeopardised.

The statement says: “Castleford Tigers are about more than rugby league.

“Although the club’s achievements on the pitch are of fundamental importance to the local community, they are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the positive effects the club and the crucial work of the foundation has on the local community.

“The club is a source of pride to Castleford and the Five Towns, putting the area on the map across the world and being a beacon of light and success in an area that has struggled with the effects of its industrial decline.

“The club fosters a sense of identity and character for the local area in having a club competing at the top level of rugby league.

“Wheldon Road is the historic and spiritual home of the club but is simply not fit for purpose for a modern professional sports team.

“Without major upgrades to the stadium, the long term sustainability of the club and the myriad of benefits cannot be guaranteed.

“This would be catastrophic for the town and its residents. “

Addressing the downside of the proposals, officers have acknowledged that the Axoim development is “inappropriate” development within the greenbelt due in part to its visual impact and the loss of agricultural land.

Parts of the site fall within an Environment Agency ‘medium risk’ flood zone.

The site is next to Holywell Wood, a designated local wildlife site which is also covered by a blanket tree preservation order.

It also lies within the Coal Authority’s “development high risk” referral area.

The scheme would also contravene the council’s policy on tackling climate change due to the high levels of traffic it is expected to generate.

The report says: “There is also considerable congestion on this part of the highway network and additional vehicle movements will add to this issue which affects the surrounding area.”

But officers say the plans meet the “very special circumstances” required to build on the greenbelt.

It says: “The proposal would create a significant number of jobs during both the construction and operational phases, which in turn would contribute to the overall wider regeneration of a coalfield area which has been detrimentally affected by industrial/mining decline.”

Councillors have also been recommended to impose a planning condition calling for Axiom to pay the £12m stadium funding ‘up front’ through a section 106 agreement.

Section 106 agreements are legally binding between developers and councils to fund local infrastructure,

It has also been recommended that the developer makes a biodiversity net gain payment of £1.2m.

Further financial contributions of more than £500,000 are also sought to go towards public transport.

If approved, the scheme will be referred to Michael Gove, secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, to decide whether to ‘call-in’ the application and hold a public inquiry.