NEWENT Rugby Club has secured a long term deal to remain at the town’s recreation ground.

Town councillors agreed a ‘long term contractual agreement’ which will secure the Green Army’s future at the ground on Watery Lane.

Mayor Eddie Wood said he was pleased with the outcome which will meet all the legal requirements.

“It was agreed in principle to give them a long term agreement which includes clauses and break points,” he said.

“We took legal advice on the proposal and made sure it met the Fields in Trust and charity requirements.”

How long the agreement will be for has yet to be agreed between the two parties but Mayor Wood believes the decision will give security to the rugby club.

“There was a lot of support for the proposal with ten voting for it and just three against.”

Rugby Club Chairman John Moore said in November that they wanted to secure a long term deal to make improvements at the ground.

“We want to make some improvements to the ground and to do so we ned to obtain funding from the Rugby Federation Union and Sport England”, he said.

“However, these bodies want to see that we have an extended lease.

“Going forward, we want to install some new training floodlights as the current ones are wholly inadequate’.

“We’ve raised £50,000 so far and we are hoping the rest can be secured by grants.”

The club has used the pitches and changing rooms on the Watery Lane ground for many years but it has only been on a short term leases.

Other improvements the club would like to implement are new fences and rails for spectators as well as extending the changing rooms and advertisement boards.