Speaking at a well-attended Club Members meeting on Wednesday evening, Kingswood Chairman, Jim Stacey, informed Club Members that it has taken years of talks and meetings between the Kingswood Committee and South Gloucestershire Council to reach this point, but an agreed final lease proposal has now been received and forwarded on to the clubs solicitors for a final reading.

Once the club’s solicitor gives the okay, Kingswood will be able to sign on the dotted line and activate the new lease, which will not only give the club peace of mind for the foreseeable future, but will also open up a host of different funding opportunities.

Speaking after the meeting, Chairman, Jim Stacey, outlined why this was such a huge step forward for Kingswood RFC.

"The new 25 year lease will give our fantastic rugby club a secure location for the next quarter of a century, allowing our members to grow and develop it into what they want it to be. It's no secret that other rugby clubs in the Bristol area have sadly lost their grounds to redevelopment or have faced difficult negotiations with local authorities to retain their homes, so for us to be able to continue calling Grimsbury Road 'home' for the foreseeable future is a huge positive. On behalf of everyone at Kingswood RFC, I'd like to thank South Gloucestershire Council employees, our local councillors who have been very supportive, and our fantastic neighbours for their continued support of the club. I would also like to thank the committee, both current and former members, who have been involved in this long process, for their hard work dedication and patience. Finally a huge thank you to all our members who have continually demonstrated to all parties why it is so important that we remain and flourish at this location ensuring we remain a club with strong core values that is at the heart of its community. We all now have a tremendous opportunity to drive this club forward and contribute to the future success of Kingswood RFC"

But there was yet more exciting news shared with the members. Alongside talks and meetings with SGC regarding the new lease, Kingswood’s Committee have been busy detailing proposals for their redevelopment aspirations of the clubhouse in the future.

The proposals were well met with South Gloucestershire Council, and as a result, the club has been granted Landlords Permission in the form of a letter approving the plans. This letter, alongside details from a public consultation already held at the club, and the full plans for the development, have now been submitted for formal planning permission by the Council. It is hoped that with Landlords Permission and neighbours approval already in place, this process will be a formality and permission will be granted soon. Once received, Kingswood RFC can embark on a journey of turning their aspirations into reality.

As a further boost to the clubs plans, Kingswood have been granted a generous sum of funding from South Gloucestershire Council which they will be able to access as soon as Planning Permission is granted. This funding will go towards starting Phase 1 of the redevelopment to improve car parking facilities at the ground. These improvements will provide a better driving surface, and more importantly, additional car parking spaces, to help ease parking in the local area, particularly on busy Sundays. It is also hoped that with the help of some additional external funding, the club will be able to improve existing lighting in the training area as well as extending lighting to currently unused areas of the lower field.

Full minutes from Wednesday’s announcement and the members open floor Q&A will be online within the next 24 hours. Going forward, please keep an eye on the clubs website and Facebook page for further details of the planning application process, events and fund-raising ideas as they are announced.

Finally, please don’t forget the hugely important Annual General Meeting which is being held at Kingswood RFC on Tuesday 23rd May at 7.30pm.