Football club with sloping pitch to get new ground

Chard Town have played at Zembard Lane for 100 years but were relegated in 2019 because of their sloping pitch

Plans for almost 300 homes and a new ground for a football team have been given planning permission.

Somerset Council voted the plans through unanimously at a meeting on Monday.

The 295 homes will be built on the northern edge of the town, on fields between Chard's bowling club and garden centre, off Thorndon Park Drive.

Meanwhile, Chard Town FC welcomed the "great result" of securing a new ground after 30 years of working towards leaving their current home on Zembard Lane, where a sloping pitch has been detrimental to the team's chances of success.

Plans submitted to the council show the proposed layout of the development

Martin Wale, councillor for Chard North, said the homes were needed to meet demand locally.

"I thought that the plan which was put forward was the best for not only Chard but also Combe St Nicholas and the residents of Cuttifords Door," he said, referring to the nearby hamlet bordering the fields of the development.

"This will give a supply of, particularly, affordable housing for Chard which is, sadly, badly needed."

An artist's impression gives an idea of what the new ground and training pitches will look like

Ryan Parris, committee member at Chard Town FC said: "It was a great result and one that will mean so much not only to Chard Town FC but to the community and especially the younger generation who will be the main beneficiaries of the new community sports facilities.

"It's only the first step and there is a long way to go until the opening, but this step is a mighty leap forward for sport in Chard."

The club were relegated in 2019 as their pitch was considered to be too sloping to meet FA regulations to play further up the football league pyramid.

They currently play in the Somerset County League Premier Division but hope to earn promotion back up the league structure when they move to the new ground.

The development also includes a new clubhouse and changing rooms

As well as a floodlit full-size football pitch, the plans also include a clubhouse, changing rooms, and two pitches for community use - one full-size and one for juniors.

The developers, Mactaggart & Mickel Homes, have promised 35% of the homes will be classed as affordable, with an 80/20 split of socially rented to shared ownership.

The planning permission also requires a £121,000 contribution towards expanding the local GP surgery.