A couple of days ago Chris Williams, a leading light in HUST (Hereford United Supporters Trust), gave an interview to Trevor Owens, sports editor of BBC Hereford and Worcester. In the interview Williams explained that the Trust had looked at the Localism Act and felt it could be used to protect Edgar Street as a football venue, an (ACV) Asset of Community Value.
"We had a working group meeting last night in line with the aims and objectives of what the Trust set out to do at its launch," said Williams.
"In August we made a decision to apply to the Herefordshire Council to protect Edgar Street as a sporting venue to try to maintain standards of professional football in the county of Herefordshire.
"This facility that we have by using an asset of community value procedure has come about from trying to protect the ammenities within local communities - like a village could do with the village pub or post office for example.
"The same thing applies to professional football in Herefordshire, the ground is the only asset in Herefordshire that we think could accomodate professional football in terms of the stands and amenities, the pitch and the location and so on.
"In applying for this, we've met the aims of objectives of what we intend to do which is to try and protect the venue for professional football in Herefordshire."
Owens then mentioned that there already was a covenant on Edgar Street which meant it had to be used for sporting purposes.
"How does this differ from that?" asked Owens.
"It differs in so far as this doesn't - the protection that is afforded by that means that piece of land has to be available," said Williams.
"The actual wording, I think, is that protection is for an athletic club but it's been interpreted as a sporting venue which is fine for the way it is used at the moment.
"The problem of that is if an alternative venue could be provided somewhere else, maybe with less facilities, then in certain circumstances that covenant could be lifted so it could be taken away and then allowed to be sold for alternative uses.
"As a city centre site it obviously has great value for alternative uses.
"What this process that we are adopting does, which has come about under the Localism Act 2011, is to provide us with the facility to delay any changes to the existing situation for a period of six months to allow the trust to consider what the alternatives are in the interest of the supporters of professional football in Herefordshire.
"That's what are aims and objectives are set out to do".