'We've worked tirelessly for this': Council gives green light to club's illuminating plans

Officials at Market Drayton Town Football Club and the town's sports association have been working 'tirelessly' to get brand new columns and lights the ground in Greenfields Lane.

Matthew Allen, the club chairman, said: "The current floodlights are more than 20 years old and this is something that the club have worked tirelessly for.

"I am proud that we have managed to do this.

"Market Drayton Sports Association has been really helpful."

The club will be benefitting from using cheaper LED floodlights on four column that also cause less light pollution locally as it is directed down to the ground. It also means that the club complies with FA rules.

Mr Allen said the project is a £70,000 investment for the club, which has been supported by a Premier League Stadium Fund and 30 per cent from a Marches Energy Support Grant.

The new equipment is in the same locations and should be less intrusive because the lights are supported by a single structure rather than a lattice.

Work is scheduled to start on August 26 and the new kit should be fully operational by the end of the month.

In its submission to council planners the club warned that if the project project doesn’t go ahead in a timely manner all three of its teams would be expelled from their league and the club cease to exist.

But the club has been allowed to front load its away games to give it time to get the project sorted out.

The existing columns and lights are "well past their useful life" having been in situ for over 25 years.

Their columns have had a recent structural survey carried out and have been effectively condemned.

The lights themselves at the top of the columns no longer meet FA guidelines so the only option was replacing with a fit for purpose solution.

The club has an adult men's side, a youth side and a female side to play in the leagues in which they are entered. All the teams have to have fully functional floodlights.

Market Drayton Town Council supported the application and the plan received no objections from the local community.

Council planners in their decision said: "The principle of development for the installation of floodlights to support the football pitches was established in 1999, due to the conditions applied at the time of the original 1999 approval, formal planning permission is required for the replacement / upgrade of the floodlighting column."

And they concluded this week that the proposed siting, scale and design of the replacement flood lights will upgrade and modernise the existing, the new design will be a visual improvement and will support the sites existing use.

"Additionally no adverse or detrimental harm will be caused to the nearby neighbouring amenities."

It was judged to be in accord with council and national policies.