WESTBURY United Football Club is looking to sell off part of their land to a housing developer in order to fund a new clubhouse and changing room facility, to safeguard the future of the club.
During the town council’s highways, planning and development meeting on Monday 16th April, Greg Coulson, chairman of the football club, trustee of the club Keith Harvey and Martin Tuthill, land and marketing director for Firgrove Homes Ltd, presented their initial plan to sell off the current overflow car park at the Meadow Lane ground for 11 privately-owned houses, to help fund new facilities such as a clubhouse and changing rooms.
There have been previous talks with developers, including plans from retail supermarket Sainsbury’s back in 2012, about selling the whole land and moving the club to another location in Westbury. However, the club was reluctant to move away from the town centre and no other site was acceptable in terms of size and price.
The new proposal from Firgrove Homes Ltd, would see the club selling off only part of their land so the football could continue at the historic Meadow Lane ground.
Greg Coulson explained that their current 70-year-old facilities are not in keeping with the current high-flying success of Westbury United, who are on track for a promotion at the end of this season.
“Our current facilities, the clubhouse and changing room, are both over 70 years old,” Greg Coulson explained, “every season we are spending thousands of pounds keeping the facilities up to standard so we can pass our ground permit, in order to continue to compete in the Western League and enter FA competitions.
“Our current facilities include; the clubhouse, which due to its age, is only used on match days and for the occasional skittles team; the changing rooms that have no heating, unreliable plumbing and water systems and no female referee facilities. We also have a container that we use to store kit, but this is damp and it has leaks.
“We are looking to replace our clubhouse to have male, female and disabled provisions, it will be spec and design so that it has a flexible space so it will have multi-use by the local community. Meetings, parties, social events etc can also take place there.
“It is also our ambition to become the primary sport provider for Westbury and the surrounding areas. With new facilities, it will result in a self-sustaining football club.”
Keith Harvey, trustee of Westbury United Football Club added, “We are desperate for your help, we need the support from the people of Westbury and the town council to safeguard the future of Westbury United Football Club for many years to come.”
Martin Tuthill of Firgrove Homes Ltd said, “These plans are purely in draft form, this is the start of a long number of steps before it comes to fruition, but the idea is to release as much money from the site for the football club to help with the longevity, which at present is in serious doubt.”
