NCFG Info – Page 12 – News archive

Multi-sports business case? 19/04/19

News Posted by NCFG Info 01/05/2019 20:26

Letter to NWN from NCFG Chair Paul Morgan:

On
the 28th March I attended the West Berks Council meeting and at the Public
Questions I asked if the Council could share the business case for it’s latest
proposal for the football ground at Faraday Road. I asked the question because
I am struggling to understand why they would spend money on turning a needed
and previously heavily used facility into one that no-one has asked for and one
the Council has not consulted anyone about.

Rather
than answer the question openly and transparently, Cllr James Fredrickson took
the usual West Berks Councillor tactic of not answering the question and did
not outline the business case, he simply said “Yes, we will share the business
case”

Needless
to say a full month later, we are still awaiting for him to share the business
case, why do our Councillors treat the community they are elected to serve with
such contempt?

Paul
Morgan
Newbury
Community Football Group

Comments(0) https://news.ncfg.uk/?p=91

What’s left of the stand 01/04/19

News Posted by NCFG Info 01/05/2019 20:24

A sorry sight (site!):

Comments(0) https://news.ncfg.uk/?p=90

Tadley get council donation & letter to NWN 01/04/19

News Posted by NCFG Info 01/05/2019 20:23

Letter from NCFG Press Officer Lee McDougall to Newbury Weekly News:

I read with great envy in last weeks NWN how Basingstoke and
Deane Council were funding £5,000 towards a football stand at a ground in
Tadley

We have the complete opposite in West Berkshire where the
Council have taken a perfectly good football stand at our community football
ground in Faraday Road and REMOVED it!

They plan to re-open the ground as a bookable venue in the
Summer (originally it was September 18) but with a total disregard for the
children’s teams who may wish to use it (and the standard zero consultation)
parents will find they no longer are able to either sit or shelter from the
rain while they watch their children play or train.

The only possible glimmer of hope was that Cllr Cole finally
admitted at the Exec meeting on Thursday that the Council understood it’s
commitments to replace the ground should they get permission to redevelop LRIE
and the recent Press Release from WBC highlighted plans for a new FA Step 6
facility at Northcroft. A Step 6 Ground must have floodlights, 1.83m fencing surround,
a club house, parking, turnstiles and… a stand!

It is beyond comprehension that they plan to spend what I
conservatively estimate to be well over £1m on a football ground in Northcroft
to replace the one they have so very unnecessarily destroyed. I am sure a
change from a Tory dominated Council on May 2nd’s elections could provide a
Council more committed to its community and not deals with property developers
(both lawful and unlawful)

Lee McDougall
Newbury Community Football Group

See NWN article below:

Comments(0) https://news.ncfg.uk/?p=89

We need independent review over LRIE case 19/03/19

News Posted by NCFG Info 01/05/2019 20:18

News updates February-March 2019

While West Berks Council denies any wrongdoing over the London Road estate fiasco, many questions on strategy and costs remain. As we get closer to the local elections on 2 May, the council goes on the charm offensive for votes with positively spun news on LRIE plans, the re-opening of Faraday Road for multi-sports and public consultations which have been scarce to-date!

Whatever your political colours, please do take time to understand the local issues which are important to you and vote for the party promising solutions (and then hold them to it!)

See the news blog for news articles, councillors’ LRIE letters and more background information.

NCFG continues to question the council’s attitude to football at its public meetings.

The third stage of our complaint is still being investigated thoroughly by the Local Government Ombudsman.

Newbury FC will move to Henwick (a football pitch, not a ground) with little hope of playing at Northcroft at a proper ground (if WBC deem it viable) for some years.

NCFG continues to support all local football clubs, growing its membership, and we eagerly await the Playing Pitch Strategy which is overdue publication.

An excellent letter from Peter Norman about WBC and London Road, see below