THE Camrose football stadium looks to be lost forever, as no potential bidder has come forward to save the ground. 

Former owner of Basingstoke Town Football Club, Rafi Razzak, and his company Basron, announced their intention to sell The Camrose in October this year.

In 2019 Basingstoke Town Football Club were kicked out of the ground by Mr Razzak and Basron.

READ MORE: Basron inform council of intention to sell The Camrose

In 2022, permission was granted for 85 dwellings and a 70-bedroom care home on the football stadium site after a government inspector approved Mr Razzak’s appeals.

The site was designated as an asset of community value, providing community interest groups the opportunity to bid for the land if it comes up for sale.

On October 31, this year, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council received notification from Basron of its intention to sell The Camrose.

Community interest groups were then given six weeks to decide whether they wish to be treated as a potential bidder, with the deadline being Tuesday, December 12. 

The borough council has now said that no expressions of interest were received, leaving Mr Razzak and Basron free to sell the asset. 

Sports and leisure portfolio holder Cllr Kerry Morrow also confirmed at a full council meeting last Thursday, December 14, that no expressions of interest were received.

He was replying to a question from Cllr Jenny Vaux who asked whether any community interest group, particularly Basingstoke Community Football Club, had submitted a written request to be treated as a potential bidder. 

In a supplementary question, Cllr Vaux asked what actions are council taking for the club's business plan for a new football stadium and about the 30-per cent of the Camrose site.

In response, Cllr Morrow said: "I won't cover the Camrose question because that covers different areas and it's not just sports.

"As for the plan for Basingstoke Town FC, we've held talks with the club and those talks will continue. And we have a priority to deliver the aquadrome at the leisure site. At this stage, the business plan submitted to us requires significant investment. We're still in talks with the club. We want to keep that communication open."

SEE ALSO: Camrose: Basron lodges plans to demolish football stadium

Meanwhile, plans have been submitted by Basron to demolish the existing Camrose stadium and all its infrastructure.

While demolition isn't scheduled until April 2024, it signals Basron's intent to move forward with its development plans.

David Graham, a spokesperson for the 'Save the Camrose' campaign, said it was no surprise that nobody came forward to express an interest in purchasing the site.

He continued: "It has been declared an asset of community value, as opposed to being not needed or not fit for purpose, as was stated in the planning appeal, and we should not be in the position of needing someone to come forward and purchase it. Under BDBC and Sport England policy, if it is to be developed, the owners of the land i.e Basron (71 per cent) and BDBC (29 per cent) should be responsible for equal or better replacement, i.e in the case of The Camrose, at least a step 2 stadium capable of upgrade to step 1."