Agenda item

(CSP: OFB1 & GP1)

Purpose:  To consider the motion put to the Council that the London Road Industrial Estate (LRIE) football ground be reopened and its facilities reinstated to their previous condition.

Resolved that:

·         The Council does not re-open the LRIE football ground.

·         The Executive proceeds with plans to open the ground as an informal area of grassland for general sports and recreational use until such time as the ground is required as part of the LRIE redevelopment.

·         The Executive approves a budget of £85,000 to appoint consultants to produce a new development brief and masterplan for the LRIE.

·         In the New Year, consultants are appointed by competitive tender to review and plan the reprovision of football facilities elsewhere within Newbury.

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 30 December 2019, then it will be implemented.

The Executive considered a report (Agenda Item 4) which proposed a response to the Motion put to Council to reopen the London Road Industrial Estate (LRIE) football ground and to reinstate its facilities to their previous condition.

Councillor Rick Jones proposed the report’s recommendations. This included the recommendation that the LRIE football ground would not be reopened. Councillor Jones explained that reopening the ground as a Step 5 facility would incur very significant costs. This was felt to be a poor investment when considering that the football ground site would form part of the wider LRIE redevelopment.

The provision of a high quality facility would be sought as soon as possible in line with the Playing Pitch Strategy.

The report also recommended that the ground be opened as an informal area of grassland for general sports and recreation use, until such time as the ground was required as part of the LRIE redevelopment.

Councillor Jones added that the Newbury Community Football Group (NCFG) had seen the current condition of the football ground and he felt that they recognised its poor state. The Group had requested that some competitive football could still be played on the site and this would be investigated.

Councillor Lee Dillon gave thanks for the report. He recognised that refurbishment costs of the football ground would be high. However, he felt this was a result of the ground not being looked after properly. It had not been played on for three years and no action had been taken on the site. Councillor Dillon felt that the ground should have been decommissioned in a more sensitive manner.

Councillor Dillon continued by stating that the regeneration of the LRIE was needed. However, the Liberal Democrat Group would have sought an alternative home for the football club before they were evicted.

Councillor Jones stated that efforts had been made to find alternative provision. He reiterated the intention to provide a high quality facility as quickly as possible.

Councillor David Marsh referred to the regular attendance of members of the NCFG at Executive meetings. He felt that more should have been done to engage with the group and he questioned whether they had been consulted. Councillor Jones stated that he had engaged personally with the NCFG for many months, including meeting with them at the site. He sought to work positively with them.

The NCFG had not been consulted on the Playing Pitch Strategy as they were not a constituted sporting body.

Councillor Steve Masters welcomed the fact that the football ground would be opened in some form. He questioned whether the Council had prematurely closed the football ground. Councillor Jones advised that the important point to focus on was moving forward positively to resolve the issue and the solution would not come from one football ground. The Playing Pitch Strategy would cover all levels of football. He did however add that the ground was closed due to the Council’s circumstances at that time, but unfortunately the redevelopment project had suffered delays.

Councillor Tony Vickers drew attention to the policy implications in the report, specifically the reference to Policy CS18 of the West Berkshire Core Strategy (2012). This stated that the loss of green infrastructure was only permitted in exceptional circumstances and if an exception was agreed then a replacement of equal or greater size and standard would be required. Councillor Vickers felt that the length of time this had taken was disgraceful.

Councillor Jones advised that alternative provision would be found as soon as possible.

RESOLVED that:

·         The Council does not re-open the LRIE football ground.

·         The Executive proceeds with plans to open the ground as an informal area of grassland for general sports and recreational use until such time as the ground is required as part of the LRIE redevelopment.

·         The Executive approves a budget of £85,000 to appoint consultants to produce a new development brief and masterplan for the LRIE.

·         In the New Year, consultants are appointed by competitive tender to review and plan the reprovision of football facilities elsewhere within Newbury.

Other options considered:

·         To allow the football ground to be re-occupied.  The football ground and associated facilities occupies approximately 20% of the developable land on the LRIE and where all other land on the LRIE is protected employment land.  In order to financially support regeneration of employment land and where such development is financially far more challenging than residential development, a quantum of land within the LRIE must be found in order to deliver residential development which will financially support regeneration of employment land.  Unless financial cost of redevelopment is not a consideration, regeneration of the LRIE is not possible without inclusion of the football ground land.  Further to this relocating football within Newbury to a new site capable of being offered on a long lease represents an opportunity to create a sustainable site, capable of fully expanding to Step 5 and where the cost of such expansion can attract external funding. 

·         To convert the former football pitch to a grass based multi-use games area (MUGA) with floodlighting and 4m high security fencing and hoarding similar to the existing degraded fencing at a cost of £130,000.  This option will cost substantially more than conversion to a timber post and rail fenced area of simple grassland available for general public access and yet will achieve little more than the grassland timber post and rail option.  During negotiations with Sport England over the Council’s recently approved Play Pitch Strategy, it is clear the FA no longer has a long term interest in the former LRIE football ground now that sustainable football reprovision options, capable of reaching Step 6 or higher within Newbury, have been identified in the Play Pitch Strategy.  As a result the £130,000 cost of conversion to a MUGA is seen as poor value and has been discounted as an option.