Click the NEWS BLOG button for what's been happening...

News update 27/11/18

See the Newbury Today article here

News update 26/11/18

All the signs point to Faraday Road!

News update 23/11/18

Please see here

News update 22/11/18

Please see the news blog for our reply to Nick Carter

News update 08/11/18

Please see the news blog for our reply to Nick Carter, his to us and the women's club manager's message...

News update 01/11/18

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...

News update 31/10/18

Spookily, the council's news page which announced the change of use of Faraday Road to become a multi-sports venue in June has gone missing. Nothing to do WBC's inability to answer questions about how their decision came about or their confusion about when it will open? (it should have been September 2018, but it's still shut!).

Article was here :~

News update 29/10/18

Chief Exec Nick Carter confirms he is in conversation with Newbury FC about the football club relocating to Northcroft playing fields.

But he also admits there was no consultation about turning Newbury Football Ground at Faraday Road into a turn-up-and-play multi-use sports field! (the question Cllr Fredrickson has so far failed to answer)

See Newbury Today article here

See Nby reporting article here

See WBC press release here

See the news blog.

News update 27/10/18

Chief Exec Nick Carter states that WBC takes the view that the stand belongs to Newbury FC and that it's OK for them to give it to Hungerford Town FC.

See the news blog.

News update 18/10/18

At the Executive Meeting tonight, Cllr James Fredrickson failed to read the briefing notes regarding his own press release and therefore did not answer the following question from the NCFG Chair Paul Morgan!

"What evidence did WBC take into account and what consultation took place to support the decision as outlined in the (30th June multi-sports at Faraday Road) press release?"

So, the council leader Graham Jones agreed that the question will be answered later...

News update 16/10/18

WBC says they don't own the stand but Newbury FC is giving it to Hungerford Town FC!

NCFG says WBC does own the stand and nobody can dispose of it...

See the news blog regarding email sent to Nick Carter and other WBC members 22/09/18, WBC's reply 12/10/18 and our response 15/10/18 (no reply yet)

News update 05/10/18

WBC says they don't own it and Newbury FC is selling it to Hungerford Town FC!

See the new blog and this link

Newbury Town Council planning meeting - removal of stand

Newbury Town Council planning meeting - 3G pitch buildings & car park

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

See the news blog.

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://chn.ge/2N8eYEW

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

Here is our mission statement

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.