Football club reveals floodlight plans to enable promotion progress
A football club has revealed ground development plans which it hopes will enable them progress up the non-league pyramid.
Dawley Town won the Salop Leisure League Premier Division last season but were unable to gain promotion to step six of the non-league pyramid last season due to not having floodlights.
This season Dawley are again challenging for the title, with eight league matches remaining.
The club, based at Quarry Place in Dawley, has now submitted plans to install a new floodlighting system at their existing football pitch consisting of 12 LED floodlights fitted to six 15-metre columns.
“The club missed out on promotion last year due to the lack of floodlighting,” said a design and access statement with the application.
“Installation of the most up to date lighting will enable successful progression up the football pyramid in the future where floodlighting is part of ground grading requirements in the step above the current level in which the club competes.
“This development is part of a programme of improvements in facilities. The club has a detailed development plan in place with floodlighting being a priority improvement currently.
“The comprehensive lighting design has shown that careful positioning and choice of manufacturer will minimise the visual impact both at night and during the day.”
Along with enabling the club to meet ground requirements at the next level the club states that the floodlights will also have other benefits.
They include evening use through the winter months for training and matches.
They hope that the extended hours of use will also make the club more sustainable and create more revenue.
Dawley Town in its current guise was formed prior to the 2020/21 season. On the 50th anniversary of Telford Juniors (formed in 1970) the club decided to ‘better reflect the roots of the club in the heart of Dawley’.
The club currently has seven teams in total, including adult and junior sides, with approximately 135 members including players, committee, and supporters across age groups.
Dawley Town said they hope that the installation of floodlights will boost club’s membership and football supporter numbers.
“The improved facilities will benefit the club and enable the local community to support a higher level of football played at the ground,” added the planning statement.
“The educational, health and significant social and economic benefits arising from this proposed development should be considered alongside the environmental impacts that have been mitigated.”
The floodlight proposals can be viewed on the Telford & Wrekin Council planning portal on the authority’s website, under application number TWC/2024/0255.
Comments can be made during the consultation phase, which ends on April 30.
