Talks with Racing Club halt amid legal concerns

Relations between the club and the authority, which owns its Hampton Road site, broke down last year when the club asked for £300,000 compensation for the building of an Air Training Corps hut they claim was erected without trustees’ permission, as well as £1.2 million towards the development of a new club house.

The district council offered the club £170,000, two training pitches and a waiver on rent arrears, since paid, but the dispute shows no sign of being resolved.

When the council met last week, Cllr Alan Rhead asked council leader Cllr Michael Doody to clarify the current situation.

Cllr Rhead (Con, Budbrooke) is the council’s nominee to sit on the club’s management committee but has been told by the club’s chairman Bob Dhillon, himself a district councillor representing West Warwick, that its constitution has changed so the authority is no longer represented.

Cllr Doody (Con, Radford Semele) questioned whether the club’s constitution was legally sound, telling councillors the club’s constitution had been altered, but that he was unsure whether this was in accordance with the club’s rules.

He added he did not feel the authority could negotiate with the club while this was in doubt.

Speaking after the meeting, the club’s vice chairman Andy Cowlard said Racing Club was a private members club, and Cllr Dhillon said the constitution had been changed last year when the new committee was formed.