New plans for flats at Welling United’s stadium are on their way, the non-league football club has said just days after proposals for more than a hundred homes were withdrawn.
The club has teamed up with the Charlton-based developer Lita Homes to redevelop the Park View Road ground, which has hosted football since the 1920.
Plans for 104 flats with an eight-storey block facing the main road were submitted last year, but were withdrawn earlier this week. They included a 4,000-capacity ground for the Wings, who play in National League South, the sixth tier of English football, and “state of the art” facilities for players.
Welling United said in a statement that an amended version of the plans would be sent to Bexley Council soon.
“We would like to reassure everyone that Welling United, Erith & Belvedere and Lita Homes are still fully committed to the redevelopment of the stadium,” it said.
“The withdrawn initial application is due to be replaced with updated plans, so supporters can be rest assured that all parties are still looking to create the best facilities for both football clubs and our local community, whilst securing long-term sustainability for a brand-new stadium.”
One major complication with the plan is that the freehold to the ground is owned by Bexley Council. The Greenwich Wire has established through a freedom of information request that there is a clause in the lease, which runs until 2057, forbidding residential development, meaning the council’s Conservative leadership would need to be fully behind the plans and consent to a change in the lease.
Park View Road is also designated as metropolitan open land – similar to the Green Belt – which would be another hurdle to jump if the project was to go before a planning committee.
Part of the ground is also sub-leased to another non-league club, Erith & Belvedere, which has its own stand and facilities. Lita had originally said the Deres, who play three divisions below Welling, had agreed to move out, which was disputed by the club.
The Deres’ stand would be the only structure remaining if the development went ahead.
Park View Road had fallen into disrepair in recent years with one stand closed for a time because it was in such poor condition. The planning application called the ground “a semi-derelict facility, which is not fit for its current purpose”.
The main stand dates back to the 1950s, making it older than the club itself, which was formed in 1963 as a youth team and moved into Park View Road 14 years later.
Redevelopment is seen as vital for the future of the Wings. The club have long competed with Charlton and Millwall for local support, as well as Dartford, their traditional rivals.
But they now face new competition from the likes of Cray Wanderers, who recently moved from Bromley to their own ground off the Sidcup-by-pass, and Cray Valley PM, who have risen up the leagues and recently joined Wanderers in the division below Welling.
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