Don Crosbie announces that Ashford United Football Club have, on the 31st March, finally received the long-awaited planning consent on the enabling planning application for the redevelopment of Homelands Park. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those within the Ashford Council that ensured this consent was forthcoming.

May we thank award-winning architect, Holly, for her excellent design work, as well as the clubs Planning Consultants, Bloomfields, who compiled the Financial Viability Assessment on behalf of the Club.

Key Points:

Erection of 10 start-up business units
New Canopy to house supporters
Additional full-size 3G pitch
Brand new changing room facilities
Further plans

Business Units and Canopy

This redevelopment includes the erection of 10 start-up business units with associated landscaping and the provision of a new canopy to the supporter’s area to the west of the Stadium, with access spurring off the existing driveway at Homelands Park. The proposed design reflects the railway heritage of Ashford with a steel structure, powder coated aluminium doors and windows, insulated metal panel roofs and attractive brick facades and arches. Each unit size is 91sqm with 35 car park spaces for users. At the same time the entrance and existing car parks will be landscaped to improve the overall appearance of Homelands Park and increase the parking provisions and available parking spaces. At the time of this statement, we have 6 or 7 business users interested in taking up the rentals. The new canopy to be built will house the supporter’s situated at the west end of the ground. The building of the units will proceed once all ecological surveys have been completed with completion aimed for the start of the 2023/24 season.

3G Pitch and Changing Room Facilities

The approval of this planning consent partners the one that was granted in February 2021 for the installation of a brand new full-size 3G pitch, with lights and an associated changing room block. This development will benefit players, officials, and allows us to increase the depth of our Youth set up. There will of course also be space for further Community based projects. The proposed new all-weather pitch and changing rooms are to be situated directly to the east of the existing stadium, and now that this final planning consent has been awarded, work can begin with finding funding partners to assist in its development. We have already received the backing of The Football Foundation, The Stadium Fund and local Councils and funders. Start on the new 3G pitch and associated changing rooms at the East of the ground will start at the end of this season, with preliminary groundworks including drainage etc. It is envisaged the new 3G pitch and changing rooms will be completed by the 2023/24 season.

Further Plans

Homelands Park and Ashford United Football Club are a keen part of the local community and provide leisure facilities for a wide-range of people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. To this front, we have also proposed a brand-new Indoor Sports Hall facility. Over the last ten years the club has invested over £750,000.00 into the stadium. It is not only home to the Football Club, but also Kennington FC groundshare here, and just recently the clubs Director of Football, Paul Bowden-Brown, negotiated a 5-year partnership for Charlton FC (CACT) to use Homelands as their Southeast Hub. It also serves as a training ground for all of the Clubs Youth Teams as well as many other local community teams. This coming season the club will have its own Ladies section formed, as well as structuring a Pan Disability Section. In total, around 1000 footballers will be using the site each week and with the installation of the second 3G pitch this could double.

If the Directors are to support the continued growth of Homelands and to maintain the Football side as a viable and sustainable business, AUFC has to diversify and over the last 10 years has been able to offer event facilities through three function rooms and bars that can be hired to the public to generate revenue. But as we all know, financially supporting grass roots football is becoming increasingly difficult and AUFC, through this recent planning consent, is seeking to utilise the area of the ground around the stadium that currently contains scrub in order to increase revenue to feed back in the business and provide jobs and employment facilities for the wider community. At the same time, enriching the overall appearance of Homelands Park. It should be noted that we have over 14.5 acres of freehold land at Homelands Park totally owned by the club with only 5 acres being utilised at this time.

Finally, the current planning consent allows us to improve all the car parking on the site as well as ensuring access is made that much easier. At the same time, the entrance to the existing car parks will be landscaped to improve the overall appearance of Homelands Park and increase the parking provisions and available parking spaces.

Football is our national sport and Ashford United has played its part in providing good quality players, obtaining contacts at top professional clubs. With these enabling developments it will assist and take Football at all levels across the Ashford Borough to even greater heights.