Wakefield Council leader '˜extremely hopeful' of community stadium progress

Talks have continued with private developers on how to deliver a community stadium and new home for Wakefield Trinity.

Wakefield Council leader Peter Box said Yorkcourt, the developer behind stadium plans at Newmarket Lane, and the owner of Trinity’s current ground at Belle Vue had been involved in the discussions.

Belle Vue was sold to property developer 88m Group last September after being marketed at a guide price of £600,000.

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Coun Box said: “I can confirm we have had some very positive discussions with the developer and with the new owner of Belle Vue. And I am extremely hopeful that both of them will be putting forward a proposal in the very near future that does two things.

“It gets the new stadium built and it allows Trinity to stay in the district until it’s built.

“That would be a really great deal for Trinity, for the fans and for the city itself.”

In April a breakthrough in the long-running stadium wrangle was announced after Yorkcourt agreed to changes to a planning agreement which was a stumbling block to the plan gong ahead.

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Yorkcourt, Trinity and Wakefield and District Community Trust would be parties to a new agreement to build the stadium.

The stadium would be rented to Trinity by the community trust, whose directors include Trinity owners Michael Carter and John Brereton. Other sports clubs would be able to use the stadium at the site of the former Newmarket Silkstone Colliery, which closed in 1983.