New astropitch as good as Real Madrids'

2:47pm Wednesday 5th September 2001

Boreham Wood Football Club has submitted a planning application to increase the size of its all-weather astropitch by four times.

As well as enlarging the training pitch in Meadow Park, the club wants permission for: new changing rooms, a pitched roof over existing changing rooms, a four-metre high chain-link fence and eight replacement floodlights, each eight-metres high. According to the chairman of the Broughinge Road club, Danny Hunter, the new astropitch would benefit the whole community and help produce the football players of the future.

At a recent public meeting, Mr Hunter said the proposed state-of-the-art, water-based astropitch, similar to facilities at Barcelona and Real Madrid, would be the envy of surrounding areas, and would benefit Borehamwood youngsters most of all.

The proposed facility is intended to be for the whole community to use, including schools, youth groups, people with special needs and anyone who just wants to play a game of football.

The application could be decided by a Hertsmere Borough Council officer, but members of the Elstree and Borehamwood planning sub-committee have the power to call in the application to discuss and decide themselves. They have until September 19 to decide whether they, or an officer, should decide the application.

If the plans are approved, the club intends to seek funding from The Football Foundation and hopes work could begin next April.