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News update 16/01/19

NCFG continues to question the council

We were at the 20 Dec Exec meeting and again on 17 Jan.

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

You can see the latest local news stories about the council's development costs on the news blog.

News update 17/12/18

WBC CEO replies on the spectator stand removal and the council refuses to look into its LRIE/St Modwen development agreement failure.

NCFG and WBC remain at loggerheads regarding the stand and the council dicsusses the court costs - see the news blog.

News update 10/12/18

WBC pays high court costs and Thatcham also want  a small 3G!

See the news blog.

News update 30/11/18

NCFG meet with WBC leisure team

We had a positive meeting with Paul Anstey's WBC Leisure team where we discussed how West Berks moves forward with its leisure strategy "vision" in consultation with all relevant stakeholders from the sporting public. West Berks needs 8 (yes, 8!) artificial football pitches. It's a shame the Faraday Road issue has not had such open discussion!

News update 16/11/18

London Road development halted!

Please see the news blog and here for the press release

News update 01/11/18

Just look at the state of the stand!

This picture was taken by someone who walked into the unlocked ground at Faraday Road and shows a dilapidated stand (which West Berks Council owns by default) with its 400 seats missing. Presumably, this is the start of the demolition by Hungerford Town's contractors.

There is no way WBC has done its ground inspection or made any preparations for its multi-use sports area as they promised in June (and it was supposed to open in September). Not the first time the council has said one thing and done something completely different, or just nothing at all...

We had around a hundred attendees at our two successful public consultations at Document House on Thursday 13th September (thank you!). If you have any further questions about NCFG or our football ground improvement planning application, please contact us.

Our thanks to Michelle & Lee at Document House :)

• PowerPoint presentation here
• Design & Access Statement here
• Q & A sheet here
• 3G ground layout here

Please email press@ncfg.uk for Lee McDougall, chair@ncfg.uk for Paul Morgan or general enquiries to info@ncfg.uk

And thank you to those few councillors who could make it to the briefing... if you wish to tell West Berks Council what you think, please contact their CEO nick.carter@westberks.gov.uk

Our petition for you to support our planning application for an all-weather pitch at Faraday Road, rather than the council's plan for flats, is now live, so please share it widely!

Please show your support by clicking https://chhhhhhhhn.ge/2N8eYEW

Please read an up-to-date summary of our position

Here is our mission statement

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A FEW WORDS ABOUT US

NCFG was formed in late 2015 by members of local footballing organisations in reaction to the council's proposals to demolish the town's main football ground as part of a larger land redevelopment.

The group feels strongly that senior and youth football should retain its community home near the town centre and that the council has got its vision wrong.

Hundreds of children and teenagers play football in Newbury each week. This goes to the heart of improving health and wellbeing, as per West Berkshire Council’s (WBC) and the Government’s strategy. Closing the ground is fundamentally counter-productive.

Newbury Football Ground is crucial to retaining interest from young to teenage and beyond (aspiration to play at a higher, older age level and succession of players progressing) and it is Newbury’s premier ground.

Despite the best efforts of the volunteer group that has maintained the ground, it has suffered from chronic under-investment (including no public funding) which NCFG is aiming to address.

The FA concludes that West Berks needs at least four 3G/4G pitches.

The main objectives of WBC in redeveloping the London Road Industrial Estate (LRIE, where the Faraday Road ground is) are regeneration and increased income from the land.

NCFG’s plan to develop Newbury Football Ground (NFG) into an exciting, multi-sport community facility for the community with artificial pitch(es) is financially sustainable and has the potential to dramatically improve the council’s income.  It will therefore satisfy the above objectives and is in keeping with current strategies for regeneration/income enhancement from LRIE and improving wellbeing/health in West Berkshire (particularly for the young).

NCFG’s plan is compatible with the council’s objectives so we believe that the council should welcome it. In fact, NCFG is not proposing anything that opposes/damages the council’s strategy and objectives.

WBC’s draft Housing Site Allocations policy (see section 2.10 – 2.14  London Road Industrial Estate - Area of Regeneration) identifies that the area is not required for housing, so their proposal to redevelop the ground for flats is unsupported by evidence and planning policy.