News archive

The council reports to the executive on their change of heart:

http://decisionmaking.westberks.gov.uk/documents/s80578/4a.%20Football%20Ground%20Supporting%20Information%20Report.pdf

See Newbury Today’s article:

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28982/consultants-appointed-for-next-stage-of-newbury-industrial-estate-redevelopment.html

See WBC’s news pages here:

https://info.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=36605

Despite sound arguments to re-open the ground, the council refuses. See their report here:

http://decisionmaking.westberks.gov.uk/documents/s81071/2019-12-19%20Executive%20Minutes%20mtg%202.pdf

Here’s a short video of the Faraday Road football ground taken from the pitch side, plus a picture of the clubhouse from the outside.

We know the spectator stand has gone, but where’s the metal perimeter fence?!? Ironically, the floodlights are still standing.

Click this VIDEO

News updates August-November 2019

Not much has happened with the council’s MUGA or our long-overdue 3G planning application but our evidence-based LGO complaint has moved on to its last stages of determination and we are optimistic to hear of a mutually agreeable Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS).

We are in dialogue with the council’s portfolio holder about the possibility of reopening the ground and are waiting to see site reports, but we’re not holding our breath.

The FA has launched its Local Football Facility Plan survey and we’ve contributed. We’re still proactively looking forward to Newbury getting some new, better artificial pitches.

Please see the news blog and here for a summary of our council executive questions.

Please see the news blog and here for a list of our Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

Information regarding planning application case number 18/02046/DEMO

Information regarding planning application 19/00814/FUL

Information regarding ownership of spectator stand at Faraday Road Football Ground Newbury

Faraday Road football ground Newbury surveys since June 2018

News updates May-July 2019

No movement on the heavily objected West Berks Council MUGA plans for Newbury Football Ground, upheld by Newbury Town Council.

No news of when our artificial turf and ground planning application will be heard.

Some of the old sheds on the ground mysteriously catch fire! See this.

The spectator stand makes its way to Hungerford, but it’s 40% of its former size, see this.

NCFG’s complaint with the Local Government Ombudsman is delayed by slow and incomplete responses from the council (sounds familiar!).

Our FOI about the plan behind the MUGA reveals some of WBCs avoidance tactics. Read this.

WBC at loggerheads with the sporting bodies over the Playing Pitch Strategy and whether the Faraday Road ground should be replaced with an equal or better facility.

WBC want to gamble on demonstrating the LRIE redevelopment outweighs keeping the ground, but they cannot defend not replacing it! NCFG is discussing the issues with the council’s leisure head, Cllr Rick Jones (more details to be added to the news blog shortly).

It’s worth taking a few minutes to read all our Q&A sessions since October 2018 and recap on what we have asked and more importantly the answers we have had back. They are all listed here; oldest to newest.

We have done a great job with 72 supplementary questions in just over a year!

See below