\n The Shay is home to the town\u2019s professional sports clubs, football\u2019s FC Halifax Town and rugby league\u2019s Halifax Panthers.\n<\/p>\n
\n A legal restriction to ensure it is kept as a sporting stadium will be included, Calderdale Council\u2019s Cabinet members say.\n<\/p>\n
\n Cabinet had been expected to consider the issue again when it meets on November 3, following a period of time in which community groups were given the chance to express interest in taking on the site, previously registered as an Asset of Community Value.\n<\/p>\n
\n But with a community group expressing interest in running it on a not-for-profit basis pulling out of the process in the summer, and the period of time required for this having passed, Cabinet has agreed the controversial sale can go ahead without it coming before the councillors again at their next scheduled meeting.\n<\/p>\n
\n A Calderdale Council spokesperson said: \u201cThe Shay Stadium was registered as an Asset of Community Value, giving community groups the chance to express interest in buying the site.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThis process required a detailed business case to be developed and submitted by October 3, 2025.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe have not received a worked-up business case from any community group.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cAs the deadline has passed, Cabinet\u2019s decision from March 17 \u2013 to progress the proposal as submitted by Mr Ken Davy\/Huddersfield Giants for the acquisition of the Shay, with a legal restriction to keep it as a sporting stadium \u2013 will now be implemented.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n The council has indicated The Shay was only due to be discussed at the November Cabinet meeting if a business case was submitted under the Asset of Community Value process.\n<\/p>\n
\n The purpose of that discussion would have been to consider any application received as part of the process.\n<\/p>\n
\n At full council and Cabinet, aspects of the procedure have been challenged by objectors to the plans and some councillors, expressing concerns about the consultation process, wording of options considered as part of the council\u2019s Budget process last year, and the financial arguments for disposal and need to sell the site.\n<\/p>\n
\n These include a complaint being considered by the council\u2019s Auditor.\n<\/p>\n
\n At September\u2019s meeting of the full Calderdale Council, responding to questions, Leader of the Council, Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said the authority\u2019s legal services had looked at the legality of its approach, including requirement to advertise the sale of The Shay as part of the asset of community value process, and this had been carried out in accordance with the due process.\n<\/p>\n
\n Mr Davy, who owns Huddersfield Giants rugby league club, wants to house his\u00a0team at The Shay \u2013 the two Halifax sides also still playing there \u2013 while a new ground for his own club is identified and built on a site in Kirklees.\n<\/p>\n
\n Respective leagues have confirmed three clubs will be allowed to play at The Shay, which has seen recent much-needed investment in the pitch, which had serious waterlogging and drainage issues, including a sizeable Football Foundation grant.\n<\/p>\n
\n Councillors agreed to dispose of the Shay in 2024 amid ongoing battles to balance the council\u2019s books including budget pressures, such as funding statutory adults\u2019 and children\u2019s social care, rising year-on-year.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ten months\u2019 negotiation with the two Halifax professional clubs, also offered the chance to take it on, had not made progress when Mr Davy made his approach late last year, Cabinet members heard this spring.\n<\/p>\n
\n This will entail selling Mr Davy The Shay for a nominal sum \u2013 in return for some ground upgrades, renting to the two Halifax sports clubs and with the legal covenant ensuring sports use into the future.\n<\/p>\n
\n 600 words\n<\/p>\n
\n Caption guidance \u2013 pics OK to use\n<\/p>\n
\n The Shay Stadium, Halifax, will now be sold, Cabinet councillors have agreed. Pictures: Calderdale Council<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Shay is home to the town\u2019s professional sports clubs, football\u2019s FC Halifax Town and rugby league\u2019s Halifax…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":218840,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[5903,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-218839","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-rugby","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}