Leighton Town Football Club hopes council will lend 'critical' support to retrospective application

Two new turnstiles and two new booths were recently installed at Leighton Town Football Club as part of an "absolute requirement" from the FA – or face relegation – following a successful promotion to Step 4.

But after the new entrance had been installed, the club found out that planning permission should have been submitted. A retrospective application has now been sent to Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) – and tonight, Leighton-Linslade Town Council’s planning transport committee will debate the application. The town council is only a consultee on planning matters and the final decision will be taken in due course by Central Beds Council’s development control committee.

Chair of Leighton Town Football Club, Sean Downey, said he hoped it would meet with approval. He told the LBO: "We have a good relationship with the town council and a number of councillors and indeed the mayor, have attended games in the past. They have often spoken positively about the vibrant, family orientated match day atmosphere and the significant community orientated work the club has developed over the past few years.

"If the council wishes the club to continue to thrive as a community orientated non-league club, one we can all be proud of, then their support for such development work is of course critical."

If overall permission is not granted by CBC – meaning sponsors would be “likely to be lost" – Mr Downey warned: "It is likely to leave the football club financially stretched to a point of potential collapse".

After its promotion to Step 4, Leighton Town Football Club received a Football Association ground grading report in December 2023.

In order to retain its promotion the club was required to:

> Build a new entrance to house two turnstiles, and two cabins for the gate personnel

> Have gates wide enough to allow access for emergency vehicles onto both the cricket and football grounds, an important health and safety requirement for all sports

> Have a pedestrian gate wide enough to provide access for the disabled and wheelchair users

> Ensure that ground maintenance machinery and equipment could gain access to both the cricket and football clubs to carry out essential repairs as required

Mr Downey explained: "The width of the existing entrance, housing a single turnstile and gate, was not wide enough to support what was required to be compliant. The choice was to move the entrance and install the turnstiles, cabins and gates further down the approach path, or be relegated, with all the attendant financial and community risks associated with this.

"In addition to these ‘main entrance’ requirements, we had to extend both the officials changing room and the away changing room, as well as widen the pitch by relocating the internal perimeter fencing to create more room.

"In total the work has cost in the region of £70,000 with £35,000 coming from a successful funding bid to the FA. The rest was funded by the club in partnership with some of our amazing partners/sponsors."

However, due to tight deadlines from the FA, there was "little time for consultation" and third-party advice that planning permission would not be required turned out to be "erroneous".

But Mr Downey remains optimistic that both councils will be supportive, describing Leighton Town as "more than a football club".

Indeed, it is the lifeblood and host of several community groups, including: The Friday Club, Men’s Mental Health Support Group, Christian Church, Lion Cubs, yoga and fitness club, and the Alternative Education Hub.

He explained: "During any normal week we become a church, school, fitness studio, a hub for parents and toddlers, senior citizens, business training events and networking groups, men’s mental health support group, as well as a venue for a variety of functions from weddings to funerals, birthday celebrations to christenings.

"In a growing town we believe that it is critical to keep the community hubs that exist robust, and our dedicated volunteers work incredibly hard to do this at Bell Close.

"Developing the club’s infrastructure in line with FA expectations benefits the community hugely and costs our town and county council little in the way of expenditure, whilst contributing strongly to the local economy."

The club's community work has also been recognised recently by the FA and it has been invited to take part in a national review.

Mr Downey added: "Whilst all these improvements clearly benefit the playing side of the club it has also encouraged an increase in the gates (4 to 500) and engendered a feeling of local pride.

"All visitors comment on the excellent environment we have created and the 'special feel' the club has on match days."

Along with its formal partners Leighton Woodside, Leighton Town currently provides football for 50 plus teams across the age range, including its semi-professional First Team, Development Team, U18s, a new women’s team, a growing number of girls teams, boys football teams from U7 to U16, and a new pan-disability football project.

It is felt important that the club’s first team play "at the highest level possible", with their status attracting "investment and revenue".

To view the application, visit the Central Bedfordshire planning portal and use the code: CB/24/02175/FULL.

The application was registered on September 13 and to date there have been five responses – all against. The target date for a decision is November 8.