Bradford Bulls owner Marc Green confirmed he plans to buy back the lease and freehold on Odsal on the day the club opened a new shop and ticket office.

The Bulls sold the lease on their historic home to the RFL for a seven-figure sum in January 2012 as the governing body recovered a loan it had made to the Super League club.

The Bulls have since paid rent to the RFL and the freehold to the site is still owned by Bradford Council but Mr Green said talks had begun to bring the lease and freehold into the club’s ownership.

Mr Green, who bought the Bulls out of administration just over three weeks ago, insisted the club would remain at Odsal for the foreseeable future as he considered the possibilities for developing the site.

Mr Green said: “The club’s history and heritage is here, so as long as I’ve got tenure of the club it will remain here.

“I’ve approached the RFL about buying back the lease and I understand they have said, based on what has gone here in the past few years, is that they want some comfort and credibility in that any business which owns it must be sustainable.

“They have confirmed to me that when I have demonstrated that – it might be at the end of this season or next season – they will happily allow me to buy back the lease.

“I am also in conversation with the Council about buying the freehold, so they will both become the property of the club once more.

“My only intention for doing so is to develop this site into a legacy for the future.”

Bradford Council leader David Green attended the opening of the Bulls new club shop and ticket office at Odsal yesterday.

Afterwards he said: “I met Marc Green for the first time and one of the things he asked was about the club possibly buying the freehold of the ground from the Council.

“I said I would go away and raise it with the relevant departments and look into it.

“I am doing that now and when I have some feedback I will fix up a meeting with him to look at the options.”

Marc Green said the opening of the new club shop and ticket office was further evidence of his commitment to the Bulls and the first of several projects he had planned.

He said: “When I first arrived, the reception area was a bit like the club – dark and dingy – but it’s now fresh, bright and you can actually see the stadium through the windows.

“It’s also an opportunity for people to buy merchandise in a much more enjoyable, fresher and cleaner environment.

“One person tweeted me to say that I am only here to strip out money – but there isn’t any money. The only money is what I’m putting into it.

“These first three weeks have been brilliant and I’m 100 per cent confident that buying Bradford Bulls is the best investment I’ve ever made.”

Mr Green, who has mounted an appeal against the Bulls’ six-point penalty for entering administration, was joined by club legend Lesley Vainikolo yesterday to announce ‘Bullpower’, a price comparison website for household energy supplies.

Mr Green said: “This is solely for Bradford supporters and every single Bulls fan that switches supplier will get a voucher or discount on any purchases they make in the club shop.

“So it’s basically a case of you switch supplier, save money and also earn a discount on what they spend at the club.

“The club get rewarded with an income as well, so it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Bulls fans can sign up for the initiative by logging on to bullsenergy.com.