Plan to sell show grounds

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33665, 15 October 1974, Page 10

Plan to sell show grounds

Approval is being sought for the Marlborough Agricultural and Pastoral Association to sell its show grounds to the Blenheim Borough Council. The grounds of about nine hectares and a half in size lie in the borough about a mile from the central post office.

Mr I. J. Brooks, M.P. for Marlborough, has introduced into Parliament the Marlborough Agricultural and Pastoral Association Empowering Bill, which will ■ give the association power to sell its show grounds, which it is at present prevented from doing under the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Act. The secretary of the association, Mrs E. C. Craven, said last week that the bill had been given a first and second reading, and the association would make submissions to a special committee next Friday. Like most show-grounds, Mrs Craven said, the Marlborough grounds were used on only two or three days a year, so expenses far outweighed income. If it was possible to lease such grounds to sports bodies, A. and P. associations might be not so badly off, but their grounds were not good enough for most sporting bodies.

The Marlborough association had been fighting for years to provide the money for the upkeep of its facilfi

ties, but had gradually fallen! behind. Although the association received a concession, the burden of rates was still !quite considerable, she said.

! Mrs Craven said that the borough council had to provide sports-fields, and would develop the grounds for sports and recreation. The bill provides that, on

I registration of transfer to the i borough council, the land I would become a recreation ,reserve.

If the bill was approved by Parliament, Mrs Craven said, ■ the association would be sellling the show-grounds at a ■ price which was half that of la Government valuation four ;or five years ago.

But the association would i continue to have the free use |of the grounds for shows and ■ livestock fairs. The money from the sale ■of the property would go into a trust fund, the association having the use of interest earned. I In the event of the association being wound up, the l fund would be held in trust I for the assistance of persons | associated with the agricultural and pastoral industry; the bill mentioned the provision of scholarships.