Rugby club’s plea for 99-year lease to become ‘inclusive for all’

Welshpool Rugby Club have made an impassioned plea for the Town Council to grant them and the cricket club a 99-year lease so that it can start the process to transform its clubhouse into one that is inclusive for all.

The club’s chair, Cheryl Biggs, made the case at last night’s monthly Town Council full meeting, explaining that its clubhouse, shared with the cricket club, was simply not fit for purpose anymore.

She explained how “stairs take you everywhere” and that the building was “totally inaccessible” for anyone with a disability.

The club said it was informed that a 99-year lease, required to apply for grant funding, had been agreed by a Town Council sub-committee but were later told it had been revoked.

“We don’t know why because it was discussed in a confidential session,” said Ms Biggs.

“Accessibility to all is vital. We want to invite all of the community to enjoy the club but anyone with a disability at all faces a hindrance.”

She even explained that Welshpool ex-Paralympic wheelchair rugby player, James Roberts MBE, was unable to attend meetings at the club.

Club stalwart, Frank Johns, said the clubhouse was first built in 1982 and that the £20,000 Covid grant had been spent entirely on updating the interior.

“It is a facility for the whole community,” he said. “We want it to be able to hold christenings, 21^st parties, weddings, but at the moment the facilities are not up to it. We can’t afford to do it ourselves so we need grants which we can’t get because of the short lease.”

With the issue due to be discussed behind closed doors in confidential session, we are not able to confirm what the decision was, but Cllr Nick Howells said: “I am very familiar with the rugby clubhouse. Stepping into it is like stepping back into the 1970s. I totally support what Cheryl is saying. Improvements will benefit our town, community and people.”

Ms Biggs said that the rugby club has around 200 members whilst the cricket club has an additional 60.

She pointed out that the facility is also used by a number of other organisations, including the Ospreys Rugby Club who hold training camps for local youngsters there.

After Cllr Alison Davies enquired about expected costs, Ms Biggs estimated that to do everything would be in the “hundreds of thousands”, but they would look at phased work starting with the installation of a lift.

The club currently has a lease that runs from 2009-2035 and councillors will decide in confidential session whether to extend.