The Leader of Coventry Conservatives, Cllr Kevin Foster, has described non-payment as not an option and called on the owners of Coventry City Football Club to start paying rent for their use of the Ricoh Arena.
His call follows the latest reports that the football club has rejected an offer from Arena Coventry Limited (ACL), the company which manages the Ricoh Arena, to reduce the club’s rent by over 60%. The news of this rejection comes after ACL issued a statutory demand to the club to pay over £1.2m that it owes by 26th December 2012 or face winding up proceedings.
Kevin, who is a Coventry City Fan, said: “The current rent deal struck in 2003 is clearly unsustainable, yet making no payment is not an option and like every other fan I am hoping a deal will be done to avert a looming disaster for our city. SISU have said they are looking to pay “a fair rent” and there is nothing stopping them from doing so, by making a payment that would reflect what they think this is. Yet to pay nothing at all is more indicative of an attempt to destabilise ACL, than a desire to reach a deal.”
“If no payment is received by the deadline then it is clear ACL and the City Council’s Leadership will have no choice but to initiate winding up proceedings against the football club, something they will have our support to do in those circumstances. I hope reason will prevail in the short term so that a longer term goal of identifying a new investor who wishes to be a real partner in taking CCFC and the Ricoh forward can be brought in.”