Club Redevelopment November 2011
Upper Clapton Football Club Development – November 2011
Although members may think that the plans for our Club development have gone a little quiet a considerable amount of work and progress has been made during this year.
Since our round of consultation with Club members, local residents and local Councillors, the Board have been progressing the project and good progress has been made.
As you may be aware, we have been through the exercise of marketing the land through Savills. We offered the residential development site for sale without the benefit of planning permission. This was a process we had to go through to try and determine the potential value of the land without having to go through the expensive process of applying for planning permission.
Savills did an excellent job of marketing the site and although we had a lot of interest this did not convert into a sufficient number of offers that would enable us to proceed further with any of the companies that submitted bids and proposals. This was a useful exercise as it established that we have no option other than to submit our own application and hopefully be in a position to offer the site again for sale but with the benefit of detailed planning consent.
The Club’s Board of Management have made a decision to go forward with the planning application for both residential development and the new Club House. In order to ensure our best possible chance of success, we have appointed a Planning Consultant to provide professional support to the Club in making the planning application.
The overall cost of the planning fees made payable to Epping Forest District Council and the Planning Consultant will be approximately £10,000. All other professional services in relation to the design of the building are provided completely free of charge but the £10,000 required for the Local Authority and Planners fees does represent a substantial financial risk to the Club.
The Clubs Board has decided to offer the opportunity to Club members, playing and non-player patron members together with other supporters of our Club to make contributions and sponsorships for this specific task.
“Help us Build a Better Club Brick by Brick”
We are aiming to sell 50 bricks to raise £10,000 to fund the planning application for the new Club House and residential development site.
The £200.00 is a minimum donation and each sponsor will have a brick with a brass plaque in the new Club House fireplace. Details of the scheme are given on the website. All of the money raised by this initiative will go to the Club House development.
We are hoping for good support from our members and supporters as it is important that the planning application is submitted as quickly as possible. We are currently receiving a lot of moral support from the local residents, Parish and District Councillors and Officers from the Council. It is important that we are able to progress our plans while all of this goodwill is still fresh in people’s minds but also the old Club House is getting older and more difficult and costly to maintain and keep weather tight. Without a new Club House we will really struggle as a Club to maintain the success and progress of our players and coaches.
Earlier in the year, we submitted the plans to the RFU and Sport England for their comments. We have now received some very detailed responses from them and have incorporated all of their recommendations in a new set of plans.
The basic design concepts have not changed but the new Club House is now a bit bigger.
I have posted copies of the new plans on the website and you can view these as pdf’s on your computer.
The consultation process continues and we will be opening discussions with the Planning Department on the 25th November. We hope, subject to getting a good response from our “Brick by Brick” fund raising initiative to be in a position to submit a planning application early in the New Year.
I will issue further updates on the progress of our fund raising efforts and issue a further report when we feel we are getting close to the big day when we submit our application to the Council.
Mike Harris
Although members may think that the plans for our Club development have gone a little quiet a considerable amount of work and progress has been made during this year.
Since our round of consultation with Club members, local residents and local Councillors, the Board have been progressing the project and good progress has been made.
As you may be aware, we have been through the exercise of marketing the land through Savills. We offered the residential development site for sale without the benefit of planning permission. This was a process we had to go through to try and determine the potential value of the land without having to go through the expensive process of applying for planning permission.
Savills did an excellent job of marketing the site and although we had a lot of interest this did not convert into a sufficient number of offers that would enable us to proceed further with any of the companies that submitted bids and proposals. This was a useful exercise as it established that we have no option other than to submit our own application and hopefully be in a position to offer the site again for sale but with the benefit of detailed planning consent.
The Club’s Board of Management have made a decision to go forward with the planning application for both residential development and the new Club House. In order to ensure our best possible chance of success, we have appointed a Planning Consultant to provide professional support to the Club in making the planning application.
The overall cost of the planning fees made payable to Epping Forest District Council and the Planning Consultant will be approximately £10,000. All other professional services in relation to the design of the building are provided completely free of charge but the £10,000 required for the Local Authority and Planners fees does represent a substantial financial risk to the Club.
The Clubs Board has decided to offer the opportunity to Club members, playing and non-player patron members together with other supporters of our Club to make contributions and sponsorships for this specific task.
“Help us Build a Better Club Brick by Brick”
We are aiming to sell 50 bricks to raise £10,000 to fund the planning application for the new Club House and residential development site.
The £200.00 is a minimum donation and each sponsor will have a brick with a brass plaque in the new Club House fireplace. Details of the scheme are given on the website. All of the money raised by this initiative will go to the Club House development.
We are hoping for good support from our members and supporters as it is important that the planning application is submitted as quickly as possible. We are currently receiving a lot of moral support from the local residents, Parish and District Councillors and Officers from the Council. It is important that we are able to progress our plans while all of this goodwill is still fresh in people’s minds but also the old Club House is getting older and more difficult and costly to maintain and keep weather tight. Without a new Club House we will really struggle as a Club to maintain the success and progress of our players and coaches.
Earlier in the year, we submitted the plans to the RFU and Sport England for their comments. We have now received some very detailed responses from them and have incorporated all of their recommendations in a new set of plans.
The basic design concepts have not changed but the new Club House is now a bit bigger.
I have posted copies of the new plans on the website and you can view these as pdf’s on your computer.
The consultation process continues and we will be opening discussions with the Planning Department on the 25th November. We hope, subject to getting a good response from our “Brick by Brick” fund raising initiative to be in a position to submit a planning application early in the New Year.
I will issue further updates on the progress of our fund raising efforts and issue a further report when we feel we are getting close to the big day when we submit our application to the Council.
Mike Harris
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