Molesey Junior FC pavilion plans approved by Elmbridge council

Youth football club pavilion plans approved

A Surrey youth sports club's plan to tear down its old facilities and replace them with a brand new pavilion building has been approved.

Molesey Juniors Football Club has received planning permission to demolish a series of smaller buildings and build a single, larger clubhouse in their place.

The new building would improve facilities at the volunteer-run Wilderness Sports Ground in East Molesey, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

According to planning documents, the design aimed to "create a high-quality pavilion" that would keep with the character of the wilderness and provide changing and clubhouse facilities for the football club.

While the plans were largely welcomed, some residents raised concerns about traffic and parking.

One said visitors already parked on nearby residential streets during weekends due to limited on-site parking.

'Slightly bigger'

Planning officers said a transport assessment found peak parking demand would not increase because the number of matches played at the ground would remain the same.

Although the site is in the green belt, officers said the new clubhouse would meet a strategic need in Elmbridge and justified the development under "very special circumstances".

They added the proposal would improve sporting facilities and reduce sprawl by replacing several existing buildings with a single clubhouse.

Simon Waugh, member of the Elmbridge Borough Council planning committee, said: "I know it's slightly bigger [than the existing buildings], but I think it's the exact sort of thing we should be promoting. So it's got my full support."

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