News update early November 2023
Football is coming home on 19th!
Faraday Road to re-open on Sunday 19 November!
See the West Berkshire Council news here and our press release here
News update September-October 2023
The pitch for playing strategy...
Work continues at Faraday Road with a view to reopening soon and CSA 07 joins us!
See the West Berkshire Council blog here.
News update June-August 2023
The grass is looking greener?!
West Berkshire Council starts work at Faraday Road.
Details of what, who and when to be confirmed at the Thu 17 Aug Community Forum.
News update March-May 2023
The people have spoken Football is coming home
West Berkshire Council election results 5 May - congratulations to the parties who listened!
Thank you for voting... Faraday Road here we come (back)!
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The group feels strongly that senior and youth football should retain its community home near the town centre and that the council had 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 was fundamentally counter-productive and the Conservative council did close it in June 2018.
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 with a high quality, flat grass pitch.
Despite the best efforts of Newbury FC's 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 8 artificial turf (3G) football 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. (on hold since the Lib Dems took over from the Tories in May 2023)
NCFG’s plan to develop Newbury Football Ground (NFG) into an exciting, sport facility for the community with artificial pitches 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. It is merely a long-held aspiration of the council which it is doggedly sticking to without considering the evidence against it.
Newbury Football Ground is an Asset of Community Value and playing sport is good for you.
West Berkshire Council agrees, but it also wants to demolish the ground!
We formed NCFG as a Community Interest Company (CIC) to organise our campaign in April 2016.
7000+ people agreed and signed our petition!
We want to develop a better football ground and increase its community use.
We not only want to save NFG; we also want more all-weather facilities, so please complete our survey below.
Click the link
