Sports clubs in Banbury will benefit from a three-month ‘rent rest’ thanks to a new arrangement initiated by Conservative-controlled Banbury Town Council. 12 local clubs covering sports including football, bowls, and tennis have been granted a rebate on hire charges for the Council’s pitches, courts, and greens as coronavirus restrictions have prevented them from being able to play.
The total cost of the rent holiday scheme to the Council is £5000, with clubs each saving between £130 and £1600.
Leader of Banbury Town Council, Councillor Kieron Mallon said: “Many of the towns normally well-used sports clubs are no longer receiving any income as a result of the coronavirus. They are not getting match fees; their annual subscriptions are being affected, and some of the bigger clubs have additional facilities they have also been unable to open. I am pleased that the Council has taken the initiative and granted these clubs a three-month rent rebate which, for smaller organisations, could be the difference between them surviving and folding.”
