SWINDON Borough Council should look to buy back the County Ground if a £22.5m plan to transform it hasn't started within three years.

That is the call from the Labour group of councillors ahead of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday night at which the Conservative administration is set to agree a £2.3m sale with Swindon Town and its supporters.

The bid from the joint venture includes a stadium development plan which promises upgrades to Stratton Bank and the Don Rogers Stand a new hotel at the Town End.

Labour said it supported the agreement and added: "We are pleased to note the buy back option included in the deal, and we will urge the council to use it if the joint venture haven’t commenced the Stadium Development Plan within three years.

"We also note that the council have the first option on buying back the freehold if the group ever want to sell, and we would always be keen to do this if needed to safeguard the future of the club."

"Without these two protections in place or without the 50 per cent stake for the Supporters' Trust, we would not support the sale. Too many communities have lost their local football club or their assets to unscrupulous owners in the past, and we never want that to happen to Swindon Town fans."