Council Approves Worthing FC Grounds Upgrade

Tuesday, 23 April 2024 06:00

By Thomas Hanway, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to upgrade Worthing Football Club’s Woodside Road grounds have been approved by Worthing Borough Council.

The council’s planning committee approved the plans at its meeting on Wednesday, April 17, with Worthing FC guaranteed a place in this year’s National League South play-offs as the club looks to secure promotion to the National League.

The plans will see a new, covered, north grandstand, a new toilet and food/drink building in the northwest corner of the ground, and new roof coverings for the west stand and the uncovered section of the northeast stand. Roof coverings over the west terrace were removed over safety concerns in March, 2023, and the plans seek to replace them with a larger covering.

The north stand is expected to increase in maximum capacity from 940 to around 1,818 people, with five disabled seats, and a gantry will be installed in the centre of the stand for TV crews.

More than 20 objections were lodged by residents, mostly concerning overdevelopment, loss of parking and increased traffic congestion as a result of potentially larger crowds.

In the plans the club said about 70 per cent of home fans would get to games via public transport, with the rest arriving by car. The club said many fans meet up beforehand to then walk to the venue and that away fans might stay the night in the town to do the same.

Three letters of support were also submitted, stating more spectators would help nearby businesses and put Worthing ‘on the map’.

Several conditions were proposed by Kevin Jenkins (Con, Goring) for the plans, including securing disabled parking and further traffic surveys should the club secure its promotion, which were approved by the committee.

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