Council supports plans for Newbury football ground redevelopment

Community group has taken plans to re-open the ground to appeal

WEST Berkshire Council has given its support to a community group’s bid to redevelopment the football ground in Newbury’s Faraday Road.

This is despite it being at odds with its own long-term plan for the area.

Two applications were submitted by the Newbury Community Football Group (NCFG) last year to redevelop the site – the first to install two artificial, all-weather playing pitches and the second to replace the existing clubhouse, including changing rooms, and build a new spectator stand.

However, the council failed to make a decision on the applications within the required time and the NCFG took the matter to appeal.

And, at a western area planning committee meeting last Wednesday, council planners recommended that the applications be approved at that appeal.

This is despite the district council’s well-known desire to demolish the ground and build flats on the land.

NCFG member Lee McDougall – who spoke at the meeting – expressed his delight with the decision.

“We are delighted to have received the full and unanimous support of West Berkshire council for both of our planning applications.

“We’d also like to thank the 2,000 people who signed the petition for the applications – this is a huge response for a town the size of Newbury and highlights the community demand for improved sporting facilities in the area, particularly for children.

“While the long-term plans for development are progressed, we still need to focus on getting the ground re-opened to the community in the intervening period.

“With a modest investment and some temporary changing rooms, the football ground could be opened to play 11-a-side football again within a couple of months.”

Councillors heard from Newbury town councillor Gary Norman (Lib Dem, Wash Common), who said: “I sat in front of this committee three weeks ago when you passed the Waterside application for the youth centre, much to your credit, as that provides a fantastic facility for youth in this town.

“I look upon this application in the same mould. This application gives 24-7 use of the facility, it is multi-sports and will give a great opportunity for youth as well as other ages.”

The decision in Wednesday’s meeting is the latest in the long-running saga concerning the football ground.

The ground was controversially closed by the council in June 2018 when it evicted the incumbent Newbury FC men’s team.

Since then, the ground has been left to deteriorate into an unusable state. The stand and perimeter fencing have been removed, while the clubhouse and changing room buildings haven’t been maintained.

The council had applied to convert the ground into a multi-use games area featuring two five-a-side pitches, 4m-high secure fencing and eight floodlights.

But it has now scrapped that plan because it was “unpopular” and would have cost £130,000.

It now plans to “convert the old football pitch into an area of grassland for informal sport and recreational use”.

Restoring the ground to its original condition, costing between £800,00 and £1.1m, has also been ruled out.

In contrast, the cost of converting the football pitch to an area of grassland bound by a timber post-and-rail fence will cost £30,000.