New pitch?

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Shepperton Supporter
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Tony
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I know the club has been considering this for a while but surprised at no comms from the club. Personally I am no fan of artificial pitches but understand the commercial rationale. I wonder how it is going to be funded though? You won’t get much change out of £500,000 and could possibly cost more. We are also looking at new floodlights which was going to be subject to a further grant application.
Shepperton Supporter
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Tony mentioned costs for both pitch and floodlights. I presume that the club has made a detailed study of this and knows how these projects will be funded. Don’t think supporters will be too pleased if there is a drastic reduction in the playing budget ( currently not the biggest in our league) if it see us fall down the leagues.
Tony
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Planning application says cost of project up to £2M. Sounds a lot compared to other similar projects but without details hard to comment. Application says existing floodlights will be retained so maybe that project is on the back burner for now?
Shepperton Supporter
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I noted that about the floodlights, it might be that the lamps will be upgraded?

The work is scheduled from this May till this September, tight schedule.
HamptonMad
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Bracknell town put down artificial pitch and had to move to Sandhurst fc due to complaints by residents about flood lights and noise from the extra youth academy team games and womens football played there every night.
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TW2-Beaver
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HamptonMad wrote: Sat Mar 26, 2022 11:32 amdue to complaints by residents about flood lights and noise from the extra youth academy team games and womens football played there every night.
Quite understandable too. There will be a lot of push back on this application.
Tony
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Application says same pattern of use as per the existing pitch but I suspect the plan will be to increase usage to offset the cost. That will be the key focus of the local residents who are being consulted and may object. The fact that we could use the pitch more during the day but currently do not may be the key issue. I am sure the club will have done their homework on this. There is a shortage of 3G pitches locally and hopefully strong demand.
Tony
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Just to state the obvious, the club would not be doing this unless to make the club more financially sustainable in the long term. To invest this amount of money to drop down the leagues makes no sense. For me the funding source is the key point. I don’t know if this is eligible for grant funding but even so the club will have to find its share.
HamptonMad
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I thought the pitch and ground was owned by The local council.
Tony
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It is but we lease it from the council. We would need their consent as landlord so would expect they have been fully consulted and are supportive (subject to planning consent).
Tony
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New floodlights are still in the plan, just that the planning consent has not yet been submitted. Not sure why the delay.
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