Agree with your comments about Byng/CCC. From his comments Byng appears to be suggesting the council forfeit the lease even though this was an asset that Wasps creditors (bondholders) had security over…for the councils own benefit ?!
I don’t know the legalities of being able to do this with this long lease, however, I’d imagine it would be challenged by an administrator/secured creditors in court
He’s right about the issues with dilapidations and the ideal being issuing a new lease etc, however, if CCC forfeited the current long lease I guess the dilapidations would become the councils obligation/issue unless they could subsequently pass them onto a new owner via a new lease. What happens if everyone suddenly told them to ‘piss off’ ?! I presume the current situation is for the new owner (Ashley ?) to pick up current long lease which minimises CCC involvement/risk of dilapidation costs and further endless legal wrangles.
Who knows though, you wonder if the preferred bidder might still want CCC to pick up some structural repairs or want to amend the existing lease ?! This is for them to sort out and is probably why CCC are actively involved rather than some anti SISU/CCFC masterplan.
Ps as you’ve indicated the stadium ceased to be a ‘public asset’ when the council sold it/long lease to Wasps so fuck knows what he’s banging on about there