Club to get new pitch after matches rained off

A football club has been given the go-ahead to replace its existing grass pitch with a 3G artificial one after a period of matches being rained off.

Forest of Dean District Council granted planning permission for the resurfacing of the pitch at Cinderford Town AFC on Wednesday.

Rich Jones, a committee member at the club, said it was a "fantastic opportunity" for the Forest, which "has not got a pitch we can all play on at the moment".

After raising environmental concerns, Sport England removed its objection as Cinderford AFC said it would install catchment pits and kicker boards to prevent artificial pitch materials from leaking into the surrounding environment.

Due to rained-off matches, the clubhouse has also not been used - another source of income for the club - in what Jones said had been a "terrifically difficult" period.

"[The artificial pitch] is going to enable us to be playing football all the way through the winter periods when the football season is mostly active," Jones said.

"We'll also be able to introduce one or two other teams as well, which is obviously going to help the community and help the game grow."

A spokesperson for the council said it worked with Cinderford AFC to address the issues raised by Sport England officials.

Sport England said in its objection there was a "need to ensure" the infill material used on the pitch did "not leach into the natural environment".

The body said 3G pitches required more maintenance than grass pitches and raised concerns about whether the club had a plan for a dedicated sinking fund to finance its upkeep.

"As part of dialogue with the club, Sport England flagged pitch infill containment as an unresolved issue which required addressing before any development started," a spokesperson said.

"Our concerns were resolved through further correspondence with the club, which – along with other information – led to a withdrawal of our objection."

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