3G pitch plan for non-league football ground
Windsor & Eton FC/Crown Estate/EdgingtonsA football ground could have its grass pitch replaced with an artificial one to give hundreds of players a more reliable surface to use.
Windsor & Eton Football Club, which has a lease for the Stag Meadow ground in St Leonards Road, Windsor, said it wants to create an "inclusive hub" to make football "accessible, sustainable and welcoming".
It said in a planning application that the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has said there is a "clear need" for more pitches in the area.
A Football Foundation grant would help to replace the pitch and the Crown Estate, which owns the site, is supportive of the plan, the club said.
The club was formed as a Community Interest Company in 2023 with its men's team promoted this month from the Combined Counties Premier League as runners-up. It also runs ladies, youth and veteran sides.
In its application the club said that hundreds of local children in the area play on poor pitches, where facilities are "inconsistent, weather-dependent and limit opportunities for growth".
Floodlights at the football stadium would also be replaced with LED lights, which the applicants said would mean light is focused on the pitch and not into surrounding areas.
Cycle parking for 20 bikes would also be provided if the application is approved, along with 22 trees along the south-west perimeter of the site.
The club said more than 1,250 residents signed a petition in support of the proposals and over 80% of respondents backed the plans through a public consultation.
Some supporters of the plan have written to the council to support the potential benefits for the community.
But opponents have said they are worried it could lead to more traffic and disturb residents.
The plan will be decided in due course.
