Football club secures new floodlights after delay

Work to install the floodlights could begin as early as Monday

Hereford Football Club looks set to install new floodlights at its ground after securing planning approval.

National Highways, which manages the A49 Edgar Street alongside the ground, has given the go-head for the works, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Chris Ammonds, the chairman of the football club, previously said the request had been held up due a "technical approval process".

The club has now announced on its website that it can press on with the plan to fit the energy-saving, directional LED lighting system as early as Monday.

Mr Ammonds had previously warned that the issue threatened the club’s future, if either the current "enormous, old-fashioned" pylon-mounted lights were to fail mid-season, or if delays prevented the club accessing funding for their replacements.

He has now thanked everyone involved with the club "for the work that’s been done in recent weeks to get planning approval over the line".

"Specifically, I’d like to thank our contractor, Musco, National Highways Midlands and Herefordshire Council for their support", he said.

"While this has been a drawn out process, there has been a real urgency to collate all the information required of late."

He also thanked the city's MP Jesse Norman, who "emphasised to senior figures at Highways quite how important our new floodlights are for the future of the club".

He added that while the old floodlights "are iconic in terms of their design and structure, unfortunately the light produced has for many years been borderline in terms of being of the standard required".

The club had already demolished the dilapidated Blackfriars End and the ground’s north end this summer in anticipation of the spot's redevelopment, the LDRS said.

Mr Ammonds said installing the new floodlights would be "another important milestone for our club".

Work is expected to be complete within two weeks – in time for the Bulls home game against Farsley Celtic on 26 October.