Leeds United £50,000 bid to take charge of sports ground takes step forward as MP makes statement — YEP 20/3/25
By Graham Smyth
The MP for Leeds South West and Morley has paid special
thanks to Leeds United after their bid to save a historic football ground took
a step forward.
In 2022 the club put forward a proposal to take control of
the TV Harrison football ground in Wortley for the next 250 years, at a cost of
£50,000.
The ground, formerly home to Leeds City Boys, is
affectionately dubbed 'Wortley’s Wembley' and holds special memories for a
number of homegrown footballers who turned out for Leeds United, including
David Batty and Brian Deane. Having been disused for nearly two decades it
became subject to a planning application by Leeds City Council to build dozens
of social houses. The council's later decision to withdraw outline plans for up
to 60 homes was welcomed after concerns were raised over the loss to the community
of a special asset.
This week MP Mark Sewards has revealed that the ground's
co-owners, the Leeds Schools Sports Association, have accepted a deal that
would see Leeds United take charge. According to the MP for Leeds South West
and Morley, the deal includes a covenant that means the ground could only ever
be used for sport and not for housing.
In a statement he said: "LSSA currently own most of the
TV Harrison ground. The proposed deal would also see Leeds United invest in the
ground to make it an even better playing facility. I’m so pleased to announce
that the initial offer from Leeds United has now been accepted by LSSA.
"There are still some small details to work out, but
the next step will see Leeds United engage with the community to determine if
this is what the residents of Farnley and Wortley want. Given that I’ve worked
on this deal and that it will see investment in our community, I will be
advocating for it in the strongest possible terms."
Sewards says a six-week period will follow in which other
groups will be permitted to submit their own 'equivalent' bids for the ground
under the rules associated with an Asset of Community Value. He paid tribute to
the work of local campaigners, local authorities and Leeds United for the work
that has gone in to making a deal possible and taking it closer to completion.
"This has been years in the making and started with the
TV Harrison Action Group’s long campaign to save the historic ground following
initial plans to build on it," he said. "The legal action that they
took and the work they have done to restore the ground made this next step
possible. They have been incredibly helpful and patient during these
negotiations and I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done.
"I was elected as a councillor in Farnley & Wortley
in 2022 on the promise that I would support their campaign and use my influence
with the Labour Group on Leeds City Council to convince the council not to
build on the historic site and consider other options. Once I’d completed that
task, the next was to find a suitable solution that guarantees the future of
the ground, with investment. I cannot thank the TV Harrison Action Group, LSSA,
Leeds City Council and Leeds United enough for the work and many, many
conversations we’ve had over these last three years to secure this outcome.
"This is a historic deal and I do want to pay special
thanks to Leeds United for investing in the future of both Wortley and Leeds
South West and Morley."