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Club Statement
Tim Davies22 Jul - 18:05
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The New Milton Community Centre.
I feel it is the right time to provide you all with an update regarding the new Community Building.
As you maybe aware, the land around The Heights has several owners, those being Milton Parish, Milton Bowls Club (BC) and Redrow Homes. Milton United Football Club retain a lease agreement with the Parish and continue to maintain the sports fields to the standards witnessed for the past twenty plus years.
For as long as I have been involved with Milton United, the talk has always been about the ‘New Building’ and ever since the 50th house was purchased on Blaise Park, the S106 funding has been available for the new community development. After several years of frustration, we at last witnessed progression with the project just over 12 months ago. Plans have been produced, public consultations have been held and the images of the proposed building released. Even after our first-choice builder was in a serious road accident, we were able, at very short notice, to find a very able replacement. Planning was placed with the Vale and in preparation for a proposed May demolition, we started dismantling the existing stands.
However, its never that easy and when the red line depicting the planning boundaries had to be re-drawn, due to conflict over land ownership (I said it was complicated), this invoked a 21-day consultation period which meant we weren’t awarded planning and therefore missed the all-important Vale Council meeting, which would have hopefully seen the awarding of the S106 funds for the building. Anyway, we brushed ourselves off and re-set our target of the next Vale Full Council meeting, planned for the 17th of July. All the while trying to continue using the old clubhouse for functions, to try and keep some income coming in to the club. It was then realised that Oxfordshire County Council Highways Dept had also opposed planning, due to parking restrictions. Because the existing large BC owned carpark was not within the red line for planning, OCC presumed the new parking slots were all that existed and therefore not enough to cater for the building’s future use. A meeting was held with OCC Highways, which resulted in a consultant being employed to produce a travel plan, which factored in the use of the large car park. Even after engagement from as many councillors we could rustle up, OCC refused to remove the opposition, because there was no legal agreement between the BC and the Parish regarding the continued use of their parking area. Therefore, planning was not granted and the meeting on the 17th has come and gone.
The level of frustration is now becoming unbearable and has put the football club in such a difficult position, that any further delay seriously threatens the existence of both our Men’s and Ladies senior teams. This season our Men’s team are having to play all their home games at Wallingford, as we have to meet The Football Associations guidelines regarding National League stadiums, and you can probably appreciate this doesn’t come for free! We still need to gain assurance from the Southern Region Women’s League, to allow our ladies to continue playing at The Heights. This is only likely to be achieved if we can hire in portacabin changing rooms, which again do not come cheap. If not, it means more pitch hire costs! This all must be funded with no hospitality and social income, especially once the building does get demolished, so worrying times and many sleepless nights ahead.
What next? Well, the next Vale Council meeting is planned for mid-September, so we have a lot of meetings to plan to make sure we hit that date and then hopefully get the bulldozers in not long after. All we can do is battle on and remain determined to eventually have a community building to be proud of.
Gareth Woodward
Chairperson
Milton United Football Club
As you maybe aware, the land around The Heights has several owners, those being Milton Parish, Milton Bowls Club (BC) and Redrow Homes. Milton United Football Club retain a lease agreement with the Parish and continue to maintain the sports fields to the standards witnessed for the past twenty plus years.
For as long as I have been involved with Milton United, the talk has always been about the ‘New Building’ and ever since the 50th house was purchased on Blaise Park, the S106 funding has been available for the new community development. After several years of frustration, we at last witnessed progression with the project just over 12 months ago. Plans have been produced, public consultations have been held and the images of the proposed building released. Even after our first-choice builder was in a serious road accident, we were able, at very short notice, to find a very able replacement. Planning was placed with the Vale and in preparation for a proposed May demolition, we started dismantling the existing stands.
However, its never that easy and when the red line depicting the planning boundaries had to be re-drawn, due to conflict over land ownership (I said it was complicated), this invoked a 21-day consultation period which meant we weren’t awarded planning and therefore missed the all-important Vale Council meeting, which would have hopefully seen the awarding of the S106 funds for the building. Anyway, we brushed ourselves off and re-set our target of the next Vale Full Council meeting, planned for the 17th of July. All the while trying to continue using the old clubhouse for functions, to try and keep some income coming in to the club. It was then realised that Oxfordshire County Council Highways Dept had also opposed planning, due to parking restrictions. Because the existing large BC owned carpark was not within the red line for planning, OCC presumed the new parking slots were all that existed and therefore not enough to cater for the building’s future use. A meeting was held with OCC Highways, which resulted in a consultant being employed to produce a travel plan, which factored in the use of the large car park. Even after engagement from as many councillors we could rustle up, OCC refused to remove the opposition, because there was no legal agreement between the BC and the Parish regarding the continued use of their parking area. Therefore, planning was not granted and the meeting on the 17th has come and gone.
The level of frustration is now becoming unbearable and has put the football club in such a difficult position, that any further delay seriously threatens the existence of both our Men’s and Ladies senior teams. This season our Men’s team are having to play all their home games at Wallingford, as we have to meet The Football Associations guidelines regarding National League stadiums, and you can probably appreciate this doesn’t come for free! We still need to gain assurance from the Southern Region Women’s League, to allow our ladies to continue playing at The Heights. This is only likely to be achieved if we can hire in portacabin changing rooms, which again do not come cheap. If not, it means more pitch hire costs! This all must be funded with no hospitality and social income, especially once the building does get demolished, so worrying times and many sleepless nights ahead.
What next? Well, the next Vale Council meeting is planned for mid-September, so we have a lot of meetings to plan to make sure we hit that date and then hopefully get the bulldozers in not long after. All we can do is battle on and remain determined to eventually have a community building to be proud of.
Gareth Woodward
Chairperson
Milton United Football Club
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