Football club facing third complaint by neighbours

Residents have complained about an application to use a wooden outbuilding and shipping container for another five years

A non-league football club is facing its third complaint from neighbours in four years.

West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC has applied to Manchester City Council to keep using a tea bar and shipping container on the site for another five years.

But some people living nearby have objected.

The club said the plans would "really help meet their commercial needs" while it tried to extend its clubhouse.

Neighbours said they were worried about "the use of the outbuilding until 23:00 to serve food and drinks", according to council documents summarising public objections.

"Concerns have also been raised regarding odours emanating from the use of the outbuilding," the document said.

The application stated the outbuilding was used to provide hot and cold drinks and had a small oven to keep food heated.

'Longer-term aspirations'

The club's men's and women's teams are currently playing in the premier division of their respective leagues - the North West Counties Football League and the North West Women's Regional League.

Club representative Beverley Moss told the council meeting on Thursday it was "one of the UK's top-100 supported non-league clubs", with several hundred attending Saturday games.

She said the tea bar was necessary for the club's growth, adding that it had sought to extend Brookburn Road's clubhouse in the past but was not now in a financial position to do so.

"The club has longer-term aspirations to provide permanent solutions to support the use of the wider site," Ms Moss said.

"Therefore, the approval of the tea bar and container for a five-year period will really help meet their commercial needs in the meantime."

Councillors unanimously decided to allow the club to keep the tea bar in place until 2030, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.