Canterbury City FC ground plan back on
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Ridlands Farm, off South
Canterbury Road, the potential new home for Canterbury City FC.
Picture: Chris Davey.
EXCLUSIVE by Adam Williams
awilliams@thekmgroup.co.uk
Canterbury City Council has announced new plans to
build the future home of Canterbury City FC.
Land at Ridlands Farm, off South Canterbury Road, has been
earmarked as the preferred location, with £2 million expected to be
invested in the project.
The development, which will go before the council’s executive
next Thursday, is set to be dramatically scaled-down from the
original £5.4 million “football hub” proposal drawn up in 2008.
A new home ground for the club, who currently play at Herne Bay
FC’s Winch’s Field, would include changing rooms and a
clubhouse.
Cllr Darren Ellis, executive member for sport and culture, met
local residents on Monday to confirm the next stage of the
process.
He said: “Having consulted with our working group and looked at
the potential sites, Ridlands Farm remains the best possible
location.
“We own the land and it’s been designated for recreational use
in the local plan.
“What happens next, provided the executive approves the
recommendations, is a pre-planning stage. That includes
environmental impact and transport studies and, all being well, in
four to six months time we could be in a position to put forward a
planning application.”
Darren Ellis at Canterbury City Council Offices by AdWilliams
Listen: Cllr Darren Ellis
talks about the football ground plans with Adam Williams.
Monday’s meeting at The Phoenix pub in Old Dover Road with
members of the South Canterbury Residents Association (SCRA) was
also attended by the council’s chief executive, Colin Carmichael,
and deputy head of culture and enterprise, Dawn Hudd.
SCRA secretary Dick Vane-Wright, of Cromwell Road, stressed
their disappointment at not being consulted on the selection of the
preferred location.
He said: “We’ve been told various reasons why that’s happened,
but it’s water under the bridge now and, moving forward, we’re
looking for better consultation in the future.
“We wish to collaborate with the club and the city council
during the pre-planning phase as much as possible. We want to
ensure any project on that site makes the best possible use of the
land and provides a valued asset for both the club and the
community.”
SCRA, which has 240 registered members, is expected to form a
sub-committee to work alongside the council and club should the
council’s executive approve the pre-planning phase next week.
Cllr Ellis hopes construction on the new ground could begin by
this time next year.
He added: “Obviously there’s a lot of stages to go through
between now and then, but March 2013 has always been the initial
plan.”
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Thursday, January 26 2012
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