Meeting documents

Statement - Bob Calleja - Bath Rugby plc

It is still our firm intention to play rugby on the Rec in an enhanced arena that is a sustainable enterprise.

We have asked for an extension to the annual lease pertaining to the East Stand.

We have continued to meet with a large number of interested parties to try and find an acceptable way forward. Thank you to the Trust for trying.

We have discussed and provided evidence of numerous benefits to outweigh the detriments. We have the support of the Strategic Review and the independently conducted surveys of support from Bath Residents. 22,000 people supported our cause for Bath Rugby to stay on an enhanced Rec sympathetic to the environment and within a legally acceptable planning scheme.

Benefits? Our community programme won the top national award for its varied activities for thousands of local children. Our charity work is appreciated by countless local and national concerns. Commercially we help this city to thrive - ask the retailers/publicans/hoteliers on matchdays. We utilise approx a third of a large area that is empty most of the time. We welcome other sports to use the Rec, but ask that they do not damage the playing surface. We entertain thousands of people. Our new arena would provide an extra facility for the community to use.

By the way, our owner has not taken a penny profit from supporting Bath Rugby - in fact we owe him over £4 million from some heavy early losses. We fully accept that the Charity Commission must uphold the law and these benefits may not all be relevant in their eyes. Surely they recognise that our financial contribution to the Trust subsidises many sports and other events. What other benefits can we realistically provide?

In the current financial climate we ask the Charity Commission to consider a reasonable request for an extension to the short term lease so that we can continue to try and find a legal and practical final solution.