Sussex FA’s Lancing base to get 3G makeover

Adur District Councillors approved an application for the change at a planning committee meeting inside the Adur Civic Centre on Monday night.

The cost of the project at the Culver Road ground is estimated to be around £500,000 and will be funded by the Sussex FA.

Ken Benham, chief executive of the Sussex FA, said: “We are delighted about the planning application being approved. It will benefit the local community. The county FA runs a school disability league and they will come and use it.”

Ten letters of objection were submitted to the council citing noise and disturbance arising from increased usage, and increased light pollution from floodlights.

Meanwhile, seven letters of support were submitted stating that it would be good for the community and would greatly benefit all grassroots and county league clubs in Sussex.

As part of the proposal, floodlights will be permitted use between 9am and 10pm seven days a week.

Mr Benham said the floodlighting issue was already on the FA’s radar and that it would look to recruit a facilities manager to oversee the site.

Planning officer Gary Peck also suggested that measures could be taken to deflect light down towards the surface.

Councillor Pat Beresford said: “If we want leisure facilities and recreational facilities apart from pubs clubs and our houses then we have to recognise that our neighbour activities might not (be what we want). I didn’t want to go to the festival over the weekend but I have to say I don’t think it particularly intruded into my life at all.

“I think this is a perfectly reasonable application by the Sussex FA. It needs to do it, it really does. It needs to modernise and this is a way of modernising.”

Councillor Geoff Patmore requested that council engineers inspected drainage on the site as a condition of approval. This was welcomed by Mr Benham even though contractors had already evaluated the site.