Football club regeneration scheme on verge of green light

A loss-making football club is on the verge of securing the green light to create a new pavilion and build more than 50 homes outside Ellesmere Port – after warning that it would close without the proposed development on land within the greenbelt.A full planning application by the Vauxhall Motors Sports & Social Club (VMSSC), which is behind Vauxhall Motors FC, is scheduled to be considered by Cheshire West & Chester Council’s planning committee on Tuesday, 5 July 2016. The proposals involve redeveloping the existing facilities alongside Adactus Housing, Barton Willmore and John McCall Architects.The club is seeking permission to partially demolish the current clubhouse, build a sports pavilion, create an external 3G sports pitch, refurbish existing artificial grass pitches, relocate existing grass pitches, develop 20 one- and two-bedroom flats, and construct 36 two- and three-bedroom houses approximately 3km north west of Ellesmere Port.The proposed pavilion would offer improved facilities for Vauxhall Motors FC and feature a ground-floor coffee bar seating 82 internally and 88 externally with views over the pitches, a first-floor event space capable of accommodating 152 guests, a small office and flexible teaching rooms. In terms of the residential element, meanwhile, 15 houses would be sold on a shared-ownership basis with the remaining 41 properties including all of the apartments offered for affordable rent.However, the project would involve the redevelopment of unused brownfield land within the greenbelt. The plans have been backed by Everton in the Community, Vauxhall Motors, Cammell Laird Football Club and several current and former MPs.A previous full planning application to redevelop the site with a new sports pavilion and 56 homes was rejected in April 2016 because of concerns that the housing would be in a location that fails to provide good accessibility to community facilities and transport connections, and would result in inappropriate development in the greenbelt.The revised application provides evidence that the loss-making VMSCC would close if the proposed programme of development does not happen, incorporates measures to make for a more sustainable scheme, and makes a stronger case that the project amounts to very special circumstances that outweigh any harm to the greenbelt.Ahead of the meeting, a report prepared by the local authority’s planning officer has recommended that the revised plans should be approved.