BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: PLANNING APPLICATION SUBMITTED

The Club Committee & Eltham College are delighted to confirm that a planning application for the redevelopment of College Meadow and London Marathon Ground was submitted on the 27th January to Bromley Council. The application included the following new or upgraded facilities:

• A second hockey only astroturf pitch
• A separate astroturf practice and warm up area
• A brand new pavilion/clubhouse with bar & catering facilities inc changing rooms and storage areas plus office space in the centre of the school site. This is for shared use between hockey and cricket clubs
• Additional cricket practise nets

In addition to these new developments the College Meadow Pavilion and site now occupied by OERFC will undergo significant changes:

• An extension to College Meadow to create a two storey pavilion with improved viewing and catering
• A 300 seat covered Grandstand
• An all weather 3G pitch with floodlights
• Refurbished changing and treatment rooms
• A new strength and conditioning room and additional physiotherapy rooms
• Lecture space for coaching

Together with this, the school have also lodged an application for and improvements to parking and security which they hope will help manage traffic and access for major festivals and the like.

We would like to thank all those involved so far for their help, input and advice up to this point. It has been invaluable in terms of shaping the new pavilion and pitch to provide the best facility within the budget and for helping to frame the arguments for the planning application.

If the Council approve the application, which could take anything up to 10 weeks to process, the school & clubs are hopeful that work could begin in early May this year. Planning is not a foregone conclusion but we're hopeful the hard work will give us a positive result. Funding continues to be developed, obtained and negotiated, but is not yet fully secured.

When we know more about the outcome of the Council's deliberations, funding decisions, tender process as well as potential time frames for build works we shall share this with our members.

Plans for the new development will be put up on the walls of the clubhouses at London Marathon Ground over the few weeks. For any further information then please contact the Club Secretary.