Canterbury Football Hub Latest

[md093834]

A consultant’s report into the development of a community football hub for Canterbury has been released by the city council today (Friday 26 February).

It has been a council aim since 2002, when the then Executive considered the future development of the Kingsmead site, to find a new home for Canterbury City Football Club, and commit funding of up to £1 million for it.

The report, by Capita Symonds, concludes that Ridlands Farm, which had been identified as the best site in a previous study, remains the preferred location out of 23 that were reviewed. It also suggests five different development options, with costs ranging from £1.36 million to £4.48 million.

A variety of reasons why Ridlands Farm is recommended are outlined. These include its proximity to a number of schools, the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and several other established sports clubs, its designation in the Canterbury Local Plan as public playing fields and the fact it is in city council ownership, meaning no land purchase is required.

The five development options range from providing facilities for Canterbury City Football Club to either Kent or Ryman League standard only (options 1 and 1a), to a much bigger operation that would see a health and fitness centre and commercial five-a-side pitches (option four).

Capita Symonds has identified options two to four as being potentially deliverable from a financial point of view, with option four the most financially sustainable as it offers commercial facilities that meet identified demand.

At this stage, though, option two is more immediately deliverable within existing planning policy. It provides a home for Canterbury City Football Club, an artificial pitch and a range of informal pitches, with the opportunity for community facilities such as children’s play areas, subject to local need and funding.

While option two can be delivered through the existing Local Plan, an alternative way to go about it would be through the Local Development Framework, which is currently subject to public consultation. This will give greater planning certainty, but could put the project back by at least five years.

The report will be discussed by the Canterbury Area Member Panel on Monday 8 March, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday 17 March and the Executive in April.

It will then be subject to public consultation with local residents and other interested groups before any final decision is made regarding the site for the hub and the mix of facilities it will offer., click on the committee meetings link and find the Canterbury Area Member Panel meeting for Monday 8 March on the calendar.

To read the report copy this link into your browser
http://www2.canterbury.gov.uk/committee ... ocA.ps.pdf

[md093834]

Some food for thought from the report....

APPENDIX 2 - Impact to CCFC on consequences of ‘LDF Route’ decision
Background
In the two playing seasons since re-forming the club’s First Team has won
successive promotions and now plays in the Kent County League Premier Division,
the most senior league open to teams playing in ‘open grounds’. This league falls
under the purview of the Kent County Football Association and is classified as Step
7/6.
The next possible promotion for the team would be to the Kent Football League
which is administered by the Football Association and classified as Step 5. This is
classed as Senior Football and gives clubs access to national competitions such as
the FA Cup and FA Trophy. There are two requirements for achieving Step 5 Status:
1. Winning promotion from Step 7/6 (in this case the Kent County Football
League). This can be achieved by finishing in the top three in the division if
neither of the teams above can satisfy the ground status criteria identified
below.
2. Step 5 Ground Grading Criteria – including fenced off playing area, flood
lighting, covered seating for 100 persons etc.
Teams that are in consideration to finish in the top three of the division are eligible to
apply for promotion by December 31 (half way through the playing season). This is to
allow the Football Association time to carry out ground inspections to ensure
suitability.

The Football Association do allow clubs to ground-share for the purpose of applying
for promotion. In this case the ground being considered for sharing must be currently
of the required standard for the grade being applied. However consideration for an
application based on ground-share will only be considered where a permanent
facility of the desired standard is planned or under way.

The Club’s Current Proposal
In the light of progress on the pitch the club have already made their application for
promotion to the Kent Football League. Football-wise there is every chance that the
team will finish in the top three and even if promotion were missed this year the
application gives a three-year period for it to be achieved.

To satisfy the Ground Grading issue the club have an outline agreement to groundshare
with a local Kent League club. This agreement would run for three years which,
on the understanding that the club would move into a permanent home within
Canterbury within that time, would satisfy the Football Association’s criteria.
The ground-share initiative is a costly commitment for the club (at least £5K per
annum) but the Directors believed that only be showing such ambition to progress
the club could the momentum generated over the previous three years be sustained.
Whilst there is an element of a gamble about the ground-share it does give the club
two additional opportunities to achieve promotion should it be unsuccessful this
season.

In preparation for any prospective promotion, the team manager has started to
assemble a playing staff that will be good enough to participate within senior football.
In most cases this consists of players who have progressed through junior and youth
football in the district.
The club have compiled a comprehensive Business Plan that demonstrates that the
move is viable and would not cut across any of the Community Football work that the
club does. It is hoped that the club would be in a position to increase its community
commitment were it to be elevated to Senior Status.

Consequences of Delay
1. The application for promotion to the Kent League (Step 5) would have to be
withdrawn as the club would not be in a credible position to demonstrate any
likelihood of moving into a permanent home within three years. Irrespective of playing
performance the club would therefore have to remain (at best) in the Kent County
Premier Division.
2. Playing wise this would require the club to change its attitude and ambition towards
promotion. Players looking to progress into Step 5 and beyond would leave the club
as would the present team management. The club may even need to consider
moving back down the football pyramid and playing in a local league until the
proposed new facility was a realistic prospect.
3. The ground-share proposal could still go ahead although the cost implications would
be serious for the club as attendances for games in the County League would be far
lower than at Step 5 level. As a result the club might have to reduce its number of
teams or even curtail some of its community initiatives. It is therefore highly unlikely
that the club would proceed with the ground-share option in the event of a delay and
would remain at Hersden Recreation Ground.
4. Whilst the main implications of ‘delay’ involve the First Team it is important to
recognise that the club (as with all clubs) is most widely identified with the success
(or otherwise) of its First XI. The momentum the club gas generated over the past
three seasons has largely emanated from the success enjoyed by the senior side.
Any stalling in this progress will have a detrimental effect on the wider club.
5. The club’s financial position would be severely undermined as retaining current
sponsors and recruiting new ones would be virtually impossible during this period
Although there has not yet been an opportunity to discuss these ramifications at
Board level, it is envisaged that a decision to opt for the LDF route would require the
Directors to put the club into ‘football hibernation’ for a number of years. This option
would ensure that a semblance of a Club survived to work on a ground project with
the City Council at a later date. That club would be very different from the vibrant,
ambitious structure that exists today.

[mike13]

Now - the forum generally is eerily quiet these days. Even the usual bunch seem to be preoccuopied with their respective ladies - too early for gardening I guess. But that there is no reaction to MD's factual but somehow disturbing posting is rather surprising. Did all you guys know about this? Okay, I'm sort of 500 kilometers away from the Hub but to me this all sounds pretty worrying. If you consider the way and the speed with which City Councils work (and I don't think there's a big difference between authorities in Germany and in England in that respect) we have all the reason to worry. I only hope that the directors are well connected and are able to do the pushing and shoving that is neccessary to get applications through.
Besides that I also dearly hope that there is a home match on the 10th of April. Haven't seen the team at all this season ...

[Little Peter]

According to Your Canterbury some time ago, the football hub was going to be located 'within the city walls'. perhaps they were right all along?