Bovingdon Football Club granted permission for major ground upgrade
Bovingdon FC have been given the green light to make a major improvement to their Green Lane home after backing from planning officers.
The club wanted to install six floodlighting columns, which would be used up to 10 times a year between November and March.
This season, Bovingdon FC finished fifth in the Spartan South Midlands League Division Two, but, according to the club, regulations require them to have floodlights to be promoted to a higher division.
Earlier this week planning officers recommended that Bovingdon Football Club should be granted permission to install floodlights at its Green Lane home.
Now the club has officially been granted planning permission to press ahead with the floodlights after a meeting of Dacorum Borough Council’s development management committee on Thursday night (May 21).
Documents submitted as part of their application to Dacorum Borough Council stated that the lack of floodlights meant “talented homegrown players are leaving to pursue higher-level football at other clubs”.
Planning officers found that the new floodlights would not have “any adverse impacts” on nearby homes, despite some “low-level” light spill at two houses.
A report prepared for councillors said this spill would be “mitigated by way of the installation of floodlighting shields”, while two columns – those closest to homes on Green View Close – will be able to be lowered after each floodlit match.
While the ground is within the Green Belt, officers found that the new floodlights would not have “a detrimental effect” on its openness and would not conflict with the Green Belt’s purposes.
Their report continued: “The limited harm of the development on residential amenity grounds is also considered to be outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme.
“The existing football club is considered to be a valuable community asset, facilitating the playing of football for the community.”
Bovingdon FC has played at Green Lane since 1951, and has two senior teams as well as 15 youth teams.
The club last sought planning permission for floodlights in 1993, when it was rejected by the council on the grounds that it would “cause noise, disturbance and nuisance”.