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The 'Save The Camrose' Story

  • Formed in 1896, Basingstoke Town FC is a 126 year old football club.
  • The club had played at The Camrose for over 70 years.
  • The historic Camrose ground was gifted to the football club by local benefactor Viscount Camrose with a lease to 2053 with a covenant restricting use to ‘football or a sports ground’.
  • The Camrose has had no investment from its land owners, including the Council, with the majority of necessary works being carried out voluntarily by fans.
  • In 2016, whilst Rafi Razzak was Chairman and owner of the football club, the freehold of The Camrose land was purchased by Basron Developments, also owned by Rafi Razzak. Basingstoke Council still own almost a third of The Camrose site.
  • Razzak as the new owner of the majority of the land, evicted the newly formed Community Club from The Camrose in April 2019 whilst forcing the club into an uneconomic ground share at Winchester City FC, 20 miles away and had stepped down as Chairman of the football club. To this day, Razzak still owns 'Basingstoke Town Ltd' which has no football club attached to it - not to be confused with the new 'Basingstoke Town Community Football Club Ltd' the name of the football club.
  • Among the Community Club and the Council, funding was used to upgrade Hampshire FA's Winklebury Football Complex to allow the newly formed Community Club to return to play football in the town, at it's current level.
  • Since October 2020 the Community Club has been renting the shared Hampshire FA ground at Winklebury Football Complex in Basingstoke which provides a short-term lifeline which does not currently sufficiently replace The Camrose for countless reasons.
  • Meanwhile, The Camrose Stadium across the town is currently unused, vandalised and left to rot by ex-Chairman Rafi Razzak.
  • In September 2020, Rafi Razzak’s planning permission for housing redevelopment at The Camrose was refused unanimously by Basingstoke Council on the grounds that the development did not meet the fundamental points in the Council's Local Plan, Policy CN8 and the stadium has not been sufficiently replaced.
  • In January 2021, the Community Club formed the 'Save The Camrose Committee'. An active group to fight to return to The Camrose, to ensure the Community Club has a suitable home of its own to support it's:
    Men's Team
    Women's Team
    Full Time 16-19's Academy Programme
    Boy's Youth Teams Under 9's-Under 18's (over 200 players)
    Girls Youth Team
    Community Football Programme
    Walking Football Programme
    Disability Football Programme
    School's Football Programme
  • Later in January 2021, Basingstoke Council approved the club’s application to list the Camrose as an Asset of Community Value, noting its potential.
  • In March 2021 - Basron Developments appealed both the Asset of Community Value listing and also appealed the Planning Permission rejection.
  • June 2021 - The Save The Camrose Committee enlisted a team of specialist legal representatives to ensure that the listing of The Camrose as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) was to be upheld.
  • June 2021 - The Save The Camrose Committee's Feasibility Study was delivered to key members of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council which outlined why the community sports hub is needed, what type of facilities are being proposed, the cost of these improvements, funding options, the sustainability of the community sports hub and why Basingstoke Town Community Football Club are best placed to deliver the site over the short- and the long-term. Councilor feedback was positive which demonstrated how the club's ambitions could be brought to fruition.
  • November 2021 - The Save The Camrose Committee and its legal representatives successfully requested that the Planning Permission rejection appeal should be held as a public inquiry which would allow the club and interested others to act as a 'Rule 6' party at the hearing which will grant the club and its legal representatives the ability to submit evidence and cross-reference evidence from Basron Developments separately to the Council's own defence.
  • January 2022 - The Save The Camrose Committee and its legal representatives have submitted our final evidence regarding the upholding of The Camrose as an Asset of Community Value. We expect a decision by March 2022, latest.
  • January 2022 - The Save The Camrose Committee and its legal representatives continue to gather evidence to support the claim that replacement facilities have not been sufficiently replaced which will be used at Public Planning Inquiry.
  • March 2022 - The Planning Permission Virtual Public Inquiry was held over a 4 day period between March 22nd- 25th March 2022, with the Inspector having visited The Camrose and Winklebury on March 28th. It may not be that a final decision is announced for up to 4-6 weeks.
  • May 6th 2022 - The National Planning Inspectorate informed the community club that despite our fight, permission has been granted for Basron's housing and care home on the land of The Camrose
  • May 24th 2022 - Asset of Community Value listing upheld btfc.co.uk/updates/the-camrose-listed-as-asset-of-community-value/
  • Present - Following the planning inquiry decision, Basron has had to upgrade Hampshire FA's Winklebury Football Complex to FA Grade 3 standards bfore any demoliton/sale of the land at The Camrose can take place.
  • The Commuity Club's ambition to have somewhere it can call home continues...

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