Club seeks part of former Shropshire sugar beet factory site

A sports and social club founded after the closure of the British Sugar factory in Shropshire is looking to buy part of the site.

Allscott Sports and Social Club was founded in 2008 after the closure of the nearby factory.

Now British Sugar, which has the 60-acre factory site up for sale, is said to be also looking at selling off other areas of the former factory site including land the sports and social club wants to buy.

Pete Starling, club chairman, said: "British Sugar is looking to sell all the land down here. There is a possibility we might be able to buy some of it. Negotiations are in a very early stage.

"We are going to have to do some serious fundraising. We have got a fete and a car boot sale coming up on Sunday at 2pm at the ground, which will raise us some money."

He said that the club, which is in the third year of its five-year lease with British Sugar, was "ticking along nicely" at the moment.

Optimistic

But Mr Starling added: "I like to be optimistic. British Sugar has indicated it wants to keep the facilities as sporting facilities.

"I am hoping they are going to be true to their word and are going to be reasonable in how much they want."

He said that the club, which has about 230 members, had told agents the part of the site they wanted included the football field, cricket pitch and the building where they stored the machinery.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust said it was in negotiations with British Sugar's parent company, Associated British Foods, over a site of special scientific interest and would put in its proposals to buy the land shortly.

Mark Jones, who manages the site for British Sugar, said the old factory site was up for sale but the rest of the site was not up for general sale as negotiations were taking place with interested parties.

"The plan is for the sports club to end up with what they want and other people end up with what they want," he added.

By Lisa Rowley