Wolves in new Molineux lease bid

Wolves are looking to extend the lease at Molineux to 999 years.

The club was granted control of the land on which the stadium stands after securing a 125-year lease from owner Wolverhampton City Council in 1990.

The Express & Star also understands part of the request for the new lease is down to proposals by Wolves to build a hotel and multi-storey car park on the car park by the Stan Cullis Stand.

Secret proposals to extend the lease to 999 years were being discussed this afternoon at a private meeting of the council's ruling Conservative cabinet.

The deal has been called in to scrutiny by the opposition Labour group, which is seeking assurances that the stadium's use as a sports ground will be protected from redevelopment.

Wolves and the city council this afternoon declined to comment about the lease.

But Labour leader Councillor Roger Lawrence said: "Wolves are saying they want a longer lease and to remove some of the conditions around community use. We need to bear in mind the conditions of the original lease and prevent any mortgages of the ground against players. We want to ensure the use of the stadium is sustained and that no huge debts can be racked up against it."

Any formal plans surrounding the lease and redevelopment of Molineux would be decided by council chiefs at a later date.

Wolves today said anything that was not an official announcement was "speculation". Wol­ves have had plans to expand the 28,500-seat stadium to a 40,000 capacity for two years.