Council oppose revamp plans for ‘eyesore’ clubhouse despite hundreds of supporters
By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter
A council has opposed plans to replace an “eyesore” football clubhouse, despite the project receiving more than 300 letters of support from residents.
Bromley council has received plans from Orpington Football Club for a new sports pavilion in Goddington Park, Orpington.
The plans seek to demolish the current sports clubhouse in order to put up a new two storey sports pavilion, equipment store and fencing.
The current clubhouse reportedly has four changing rooms and two bathrooms with football and rugby pitches beside it.
The new building would include a large function room, meeting room, external balcony and a disabled toilet.
The application has received 336 letters of response from locals, who said there was a need for an updated facility for the club and highlighted its potential use as a social hub for residents. They also said the current club is inaccessible for wheelchair users and parents with buggies, with Kent County Football League saying the current building hindered the progress of Orpington Football Club to participate in higher level sport.
Council officers said in their report that while the current pavilion was in poor condition, they worried about how the football club’s presence would conflict with other park users.
They advised that the plans be rejected given the proposal could potentially adversely affect the character of the park area because of the prominence of the club.
A previous set of similar plans, with a larger pavilion and garage, was rejected by the council in September 2022 for similar reasons. Officers said the current application offers a number of non-essential features which would be superfluous to the activities provided by the club
The plans for the new sports pavilion for Orpington Football Club will be discussed at a planning meeting for Bromley council on Thursday.
Pictured top: The proposed pavilion for Orpington Football Club in Goddington Park (Picture: Sports Clubhouses Limited/Orpington Football Club)