A Clacton football club has been left “scared and disappointed” after receiving an eviction notice from the council due to 'unpaid bills'. 

Tendring Council served a notice to FC Clacton yesterday, giving the club until the end of the season to vacate Rush Green Recreation Ground in Rush Green Road. 

FC Clacton has been using the space like its predecessor Clacton Town FC for decades as training grounds for its senior and youth teams. 

According to the council, the grounds were let to the football club on a Heads of Terms agreement for £4,250 in 2017 for a period between April 2019 and March 2024, despite a valuation estimating the market-rate rent at £15,000 per annum. 

The council agreed to keep the lower price due to the club’s value to the community and raised the rent gradually. 

Following a refusal by FC Clacton to sign a lease and rent agreement and pay the back rent, the council felt forced to serve a notice. 

Peter Kotz, councillor responsible for assets, said: “These negotiations have been ongoing for years and no bills have paid in that time. 

“We don’t want to kick the club out – but taxpayers can’t foot the bill, and we have been left in the unfortunate position that we must ask the club to vacate the site. 

“The club is not the only one in the district that rents council land, and it is not fair on other clubs that are paying their own way. I am sure many would love to have such a low rent agreement for a facility which they could use to not only host sport but also raise funds for the club’s future. 

“The council will be able to retender the site, for which FC Clacton or any other club could bid to take it over – at a suitable rent.” 

According to a council statement, the notice will not affect the youth teams, which rent other pitches at the site on a per-game basis. 

Bosses at FC Clacton have been left “disappointed” by the council’s decision. 

Chairman Stephen Andrews said: “It is true we have been negotiating with the council for a new lease, which through no fault of ours took them years to prepare and finalise. 

“Then just as we were about to sign it, they decided it would be backdated to 2019 and put us £28,000 in arrears. 

“We could not morally sign something that put us in that many arrears, caused by delays which were not our fault and covering a period of 18 months due to Covid when we were closed, especially when we did not feel a new lease was required anyway.  

“We tried to find a compromise and a meeting was finally called.  We went along hoping to find a way forward but instead we were served with notice to vacate. 

Mr Andrews also announced that the club will take legal advice to fight the council decision. 

“We have been a tenant of the local Council since our formation in 1892 and of course we are deeply saddened, scared and disappointed to be in this position.  

“We have taken legal advice throughout, and it will now be fought out by lawyers, something that is costly and we have consistently told the council we wish to avoid.  

“We believe we are covered by the terms of the old lease, the council insists on a new lease and we would of course have accepted a compromise to avoid all this. 

“Instead, they refuse rent and want us to leave by May 1, which if that happens, they will have not received anything."

“The Club is a not-for-profit Charitable Community Benefit Society and we are all volunteers, just trying to do our best and this will now unfortunately be in the hands of our solicitors."

Tendring Council is also seeking details from the club about money it has been taking for a telecommunications mast on the site, which has been estimated at £18,000 between April 2019 and October 2023, a council spokesman said. 

They added: “This money should be paid to the council as a sub-lease, and was part of the justification for the club’s rent being set at significantly below the market value.”