Halton Council to commission feasibility study to consider options for the DCBL Stadium, home to rugby league club Widnes Vikings, with a possible sale that could raise millions for the cash-strapped authority. Tony McDonough reports
Halton Council says a sale of the DCBL Stadium, home to rugby league club Widnes Vikings, could raise much-needed funds for the cash-strapped authority.
Tender documents have been issued by Halton which is looking to commission a feasibility study that would outline its options for the future of the 13,200-capacity arena. A sale isn’t inevitable but is on a list of possibilities.
In the document it said: “The council’s financial position requires the council to review its land and property assets, and the stadium is no exception.”
It added: “For many years, the stadium has fulfilled a wide-ranging role and function. It has served as a venue for conferences and meetings, weddings, concerts, office premises for the council and functions and parties.
“It is an important sporting facility. It is home to the Widnes Vikings rugby league team and Widnes Town FC and provides community facilities for a range of sports clubs and associations.”
This feasibility study will be asked to assess four possible options for the future of the stadium which the council has owned for 25 years. They are:
- Continuing direct management of the stadium by Halton Council (which might require the enhancement of in-house management arrangements).
- Halton Council engages a management company to manage the stadium on its behalf.
- It develops a tri-partite company between third party tenants, eg Widnes Vikings,
- Widnes Town FC, and the council.
- It disposes of the asset.
“It is the right time to consider whether the current role of the stadium is ‘fit for purpose’ and there is a need to set out a long-term vision for the stadium,” the council added.
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Halton, which recently secured a £35m government loan to shore up its finances, occupies office space within the stadium and one possibility being considered is it becoming the authority’s administrative headquarters.