Hereford FC Chairman, Chris Ammonds, has confirmed that the complex legal documentation required relating to the extended lease formally agreed between the club and Herefordshire Council for the MandM Edgar Street Stadium in 2024 has now been completed.
While the key terms and conditions for the new lease until 2070 were agreed between the two parties and formally signed off by Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet last year, the unique nature and size of the property being taken on from the council meant the legal paperwork – incorporating a number of lengthy documents – was always set to take longer than usual to draft, redraft and finalise.
The Football Foundation were also heavily involved in the process to ensure the lease details were in line with their requirements to allow the club to look to source grant funding from the various streams that are potentially available in the future.
Speaking this morning, Ammonds said:
“While the lease till 2070 was formally agreed last year, I have learned that the associated legal paperwork can take a considerable amount of time, particularly when you are signing an extended lease for what can’t really be described as a ‘normal’ property!
“It has been business as usual throughout the legal process and I’m very grateful for the council’s support and flexibility both with the lease extension, and in helping us ensure the finer details include everything we need to seek potential grant funding from various sources in the future as we look to improve and upgrade our beautiful stadium. It is vital we got these finer details absolutely right and it has been worth taking extra time to get exactly what we needed.
“I would like to thank Matt Hayes at Harrison Clark Rickerbys in Hereford for all his support throughout this process, his expertise has once again been vitally important, and also Phil Pratt from Alder King for his hard work helping us agree the terms and conditions that form the key part of the extended lease.
“In addition, it is important I thank the Football Foundation for their help throughout this legal process, as they have been on hand whenever needed to ensure the lease documentation was in line with their requirements.
“Although a major focus for the club at the moment is the direction we look to take on the field in terms of our playing model, off the field we cannot stand still and reaching the agreement with the local authority on this lease was undoubtedly one of the most important developments of recent years as it secured our long-term home, meaning we can plan for the future with certainty.”
