News archive

News update 22/06/18

NCFG’s response to WBC’s complaint reply

Dear Mr Carter

Thank you for your reply.

I am surprised that you have responded to this email as one of my main reasons for sending it to Richard Turner was to establish which department in WBC will be responsible for bookings after 24th June 2018.

As stated in my email, Richard made a statement, when we met in April 2018, that it would be his department who would, in all likelihood, be responsible for the pitch and other facilities (i.e. club house, changing rooms etc.) at Faraday Road moving forward. Your email does not address or clarify this position. I’m sure that booking requests will not come via your office – as such please can you be kind enough to provide clarity as requested.

You may recall that Lee McDougall sent you an email in October 2017 asking you directly to provide clarity on how bookings will be made at Faraday Road after 24th June 2018. I know that Lee has sent you a number of reminder emails since October asking you to provide a response and still almost 8 months later we still do not have clarity.

You say in your response that you intend to “carry out a detailed inspection of the premises and then publish our plans for the future use of the site in September”. This statement itself raises a number of questions, listed below, which I hope and trust that you will provide a response to:

1) It is difficult to understand why you will need up to 3 months to inspect a facility that has been used every week for 10 years and by doing so has met all the FA and H&S requirements. Please can you clarify what the detailed inspection will entail?

2) If you have always intended to undertake a detailed inspection why have you not done this before now?

3) The inspections and other activities mentioned by you do not require the facility to be closed. Please can you confirm that access can and will be provided by WBC from 1st July 2018 onwards.

4) WBC had been on notice but ignored that the football community is willing and able to maintain the facility whist the Council undertakes its surveys and develops its plans. Please can you review this offer of help and agree to the meeting request at the end of this letter.

5) The Council’s current course of action have caused essential equipment to be removed from the Faraday Road site that will need replacing, presumably at public cost. Surely this could and should have been avoided if WBC had been open to working in conjunction with NCFG?

6)This lack of clarity with respect to overall availability (what will be available and when) and how the facility can be booked and maintained has m eant that a number of teams who would have named Faraday Road as its home ground have not been able to due to league submission requirements. We also know of other teams who may need to able to list Faraday Road as a home venue but need the availability and clarification of the facilities that will be provided confirmed in the next 4 weeks. Again, please refer to the meeting request at the end of this letter.

7) The Council has had over three years to put in place a plan for this facility. Up to now WBC has not engaged in any consultation with existing or potential new users. Please can you confirm that the very community that uses what the Council now acknowledges is a community facility will be consulted well in advance of WBC publishing “our plans for the future use of the site in September”

The Faraday Road pitch and stadium is by far the best football facility in the area and it is everyone’s interest to ensure that the standards and facilities are not diminished. Our concern is that over the next few months, due to inactivity and lack of any ongoing maintenance the facility will not receive the attention required that will allow first class football and social events to take place from August when the season starts.

On a positive note I am very encouraged that you say “We are seeking to maximise community use of the facility until it is required for redevelopment” On this positive note can we please arrange a face to face meeting over the next 2 weeks to discuss our concerns and to help you to ensure that your plans for the future use of the site has the support and input of the footballing community of Newbury. As previously stated NCFG are willing and able to help in a number of ways, including keeping the ground and grass in a playable condition over the next few months.

I will call before the end of this week with a view to looking at possible slots over the next 10 days for a face to face meeting with you and your team.

Best regards

Paul Morgan (on behalf of NCFG)

News update 21/06/18

West Berks Council announce change of use of Faraday Road after Newbury FC’s departure on 24/06/18 reducing it from Newbury’s premier football ground to a “recreational kickabout park” (and they need 3 months to prepare it!)

Read WBC’s press release here

Read Newbury Today’s article here

Read Newbury Reporting’s article here

This is a cynical and outrageous ploy to demote the ground’s status at odds with their local plan policy (i.e. protected as a football ground) and it clearly flies in the face of the need to maintain the land as an equivalent facility, flouting the Asset of Community Value status. It ignores the petition and representations made by NCFG and others to help run and maintain the ground as is. In short, it fails to reflect demand for a high quality pitch and doesn’t understand the requirements of the organised footballing community. It seems that the council is trying to change the land-use through a covert and devious route so as to diminish its value to make future redevelopment easier.

There is absolutely no need to have prematurely removed Newbury FC (as club or operator) which has caused damage to the club (moving to Brimpton FC where there are no floodlights) and their partner football clubs (represented by NCFG).

Why does WBC need 2-3 months over the summer to inspect the site when it was already fine to be used for football up until now? It’s not like they’ve had no time to prepare for this.

The council’s opposition to football in Newbury and consequent demotion of the town’s men’s senior team, will undoubtedly cause youngsters looking for a pathway to adult football to be far less incentivised to participate.

News update 20/06/18

Reply to formal complaint from West Berks Council

[letter from WBC chief exec Nick Carter to NCFG Chair Paul Morgan 20/06/18]

Please see attached a copy of the letter which fails to address most of the complaints! – here

News update 05/06/18

Formal Complaint from NCFG with respect to the Faraday Road Football Ground and Stadium

[email sent by NCFG Chair Paul Morgan 04/06/18, acknowledged receipt “C/2018/101- Morgan” 05/06/18]

For the attention of the Complaints Team, West Berkshire Council

Please find attached a copy of a complaint submitted on behalf of Newbury Community Football Group (NCFG) – here

Please can you confirm receipt and direct all correspondence through Paul Morgan – Chair of NCFG

Thank you

News update 30/05/18

Newbury’s Football Stadium – Breach of Core Polices by WBC

[an email sent to all West Berks councillors and their CEO]

Dear Councillor,

It’s become quite apparent over the last few months that there is still a lack of understanding by many of West Berkshire’s Councillors of the fact that Newbury’s Football Stadium is actually protected by West Berkshire Council’s own Core Policies (see below). Also that the Council has an obligation to maintain community access to the ground.

The decision to evict an operator (Newbury FC) who were not only paying rent to you but have been paying all the utility bills, maintenance costs and insurance too and for West Berks to take on the costs and management overhead, is a strange one for sure and one that can not be in the public interest.

However, to give you a very quick overview of the Stadium and why it is an important asset to our community, I would ask you to watch this short film we made when we started our engagement with the Council in 2016. It would take less than 4 minutes to watch and listen and we would love to hear what you think of it, please spare us 4 minutes of your time.

Click here

And here’s a story from the local newspaper just last week about the type of community event which is being refused by yourselves from June.

Click here

14.1.Area Delivery Plan Policy 2 (ADPP2):

“Existing community facilities will be protected and, where appropriate, enhanced. These include leisure and cultural facilities, which contribute to the attraction of the town for both residents and visitors.”

West Berkshire Council’s interactive map identifies Newbury Football Ground as a cultural facility.

Local Planning Policy CS.18 as a vital part of Green Infrastructure in West Berkshire

The Policy is unambiguous “the district’s Green Infrastructure will be protected and enhanced” and “Developments resulting in the loss of green infrastructure or harm to its use or enjoyment by the public will not be permitted”. Paragraph 5.129 names Newbury Football Grounds as part of West Berks’ Green Infrastructure and sporting provision: “sports clubs with good facilities such as Newbury Rugby Club, Newbury Town, Thatcham Town and Hungerford Town Football Clubs.

Lee McDougall (Press and Communications Manager – NCFG)

News update 23/05/18

West Berks Council has stated they need to conduct a site survey of the ground over the summer before they can allow community bookings, so our teams cannot book pre-season training, nor confirm with the leagues their home pitches for the 2018-19 season.

News update 15/05/18

West Berks Council replied to our letter and said it was going to operate Newbury Football Ground directly for the use of community groups until the site’s redevelopment process commences. We await more details…

News update 10/05/18

Last night Newbury Town Council members decided at their planning meeting that they would not approve our proposed artificial pitches (part 1 of the application) at Newbury Football Ground because of parking and traffic concerns. Parking and traffic are actually incorporated in part 2 (buildings) which is being held up by West Berks Council! NCFG therefore will have to present to town council members again when/if WBC releases the missing section for NTC approval.
Newbury Today report here