Bristol City’s state-of-the-art training facility and 500 seater stadium at Failand set to go ahead More details about the plans have been revealed as they are recommended despite 300 letters of objection Bristol City’s state-of-the-art training facility and 500 seater stadium looks set to go ahead. Club bosses say building a new training centre in Failand, North Somerset , is critical for getting the best out of players and developing "home grown talent". Included in the plans are three full size pitches, seven-a-side and goalkeeping pitches, a medical centre, gym, sports science facility and space for physiotherapists and coaches. Also on-site will be changing rooms, a kitchen and dining area, grounsdman's compound, 142 parking spaces and a coach drop-off site. Fans will be able to cheer on the under 23s from the stand during ticketed matches. The Robins currently share facilities with Queens Elizabeth’s Hospital (QEH) School on Clevedon Road, but in December club bosses announced they had submitted a planning application to develop a field next door. And despite 300 letters of objection - largely from members of a neighbouring golf club - North Somerset Council officers have recommended elected councillors approve the plans when they go before committee on Wednesday, August 8. Currently the first team and under 23s share pitches with the QEH School and the rest of the academy plays at SGS College Wise Campus site in Filton. please log in to view this image Plans for Bristol City's new training ground A report to North Somerset Council on behalf of the Robins says: “Having both the academy and first team on one site is critical to the youth development and the pathway from youth team recruit through to professional player. "Merging these uses together within one facility is intended to engender a progressive tiered development structure within the football club and benefit local home grown talent.” The 14-acre greenbelt site is surrounded by other sports clubs, including Bristol Cricket Club, Firebrand Hockey Club, Bristol Grammar School playing fields - and Long Ashton Golf Club. Letters of objection were sent to the council’s planning department in droves, with many coming from members of the 125-year-old club. Club chair Sunil Kakar told Bristol Live: “Our concern is for the safety of Bristol City, we don’t want golf balls going over the boundary. “We’re not against the development, we just don’t think it’s appropriate in its current form. “Many people here support City and want them to do well but that shouldn’t be at the expense of another sport. We know there’s a compromise that can be made. “We’ve proposed changes to our 12th and 13th holes. Discussions are ongoing, we’ve had lots of meetings with Bristol City but nothing definitive.” please log in to view this image Plans for Bristol City's new training ground He said the club had previously had to re-design hole 13 when Bristol City moved onto the QEH fields around 10 years ago. But some of the club’s 900 members have more ardent views than their chair, and do not want floodlights towering above their greens, players shouting during their rounds or more landscaping changes to the course. Others have raised concerns about increased traffic on Clevedon road, the main thoroughfare linking the site to Bristol. However, a traffic assessment found that even with fans flocking to see games on the weekends there is "sufficient capacity within the junction to accommodate additional traffic without causing significant delay". It adds: "The impact of the development traffic on the wider network is not considered to be severe." please log in to view this image A pitchside view of the new training ground Both Long Ashton and Wraxall and Failand parish councils have objected, with Long Ashton saying: “The PC considers that this proposal represents over-development as the main building is large and will have a significant effect on the openness of the green belt in which the development is based.” While 300 people objected to the plans, 200 people have sent letters of support for the proposals, and most nearby residents appear to support the plans. Failand resident Stephen Fear, 76, said: "It's going to be good for Bristol City, they've got a ground up here already and they're going to need a proper little stadium for their under 23s - I've got no objections to it whatsoever. "We've got no problem with it," said fellow resident Andy Powell. "There's sports clubs there anyway and some of them can have socials quite late. And it stops houses being built there." A council planning officer said although it was considered an "inappropriate development in the Green Belt" it had been shown there were no alternative plots in a five mile radius of the club's base. Recommending the plans for approval, the officer added: "There are beneficial effects that arise from the development and the proposal has been designed to minimise the impact on openness. "It is thus considered that there are very special circumstances that apply in this case for allowing inappropriate development in the Green Belt, as proposed. " https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-citys-state-art-training-1860699
Just noticed this news item from yesterday, won't get much attention first day of the season but what an advance for Bristol City FC when it is completed, I bet Bristol Rovers fans will be sick as pigs reading this especially as Tent stadium and their own piece of wilderness training facility still remains incomplete or not even started yet. Up the City.
Good news , strangely I was wondering this morning how this was going , hopefully it will get passed , it’s all part of putting together a top class infrastructure. .
Excellent news. The fact that it's likely to be approved is the difference between North Somerset and Bristol City councils ?
Apparently these golfing complainers are very concerned that stray golf balls may hit and injure our players who are just going about their business. May I suggest that if both the golfers and our players can't hit their intended target then maybe we would make good neighbours.
