Future of Horsham YMCA Football Club could be 'affected by a single tree'

An odd statement to hear during a planning meeting but one which was voiced during a lengthy debate on Tuesday (October 3) about an application to install a 3G pitch at Horsham YMCA FC.

The plans to replace the current grass pitch at the club in Gorings Mead, were recommended for refusal by Horsham District Council officers on the grounds that they would result in the loss of a healthy, protected ash tree, estimated to be around 175 years old.

But members of the planning committee – concerned about what a refusal would mean for the future of the club – chose instead to defer the matter for further information.

The YMCA Football Club was established in 1898 and used for football since 1929. It is part of the YMCA Downslink Group and is one of the biggest youth charities in the south-east, supporting 10,000 under 18s each year as well as young people aged 18-25.

SEE ALSO Horsham YM disappointed as decision on 3G pitch is deferred

It does have financial issues, though, with a report to the committee stating underlying losses of £34,200pa and a required annual income of £120,000. A report to the committee said that, without the significant investment of the 3G pitch, the club ‘may not be sustainable and could cease to exist’.

John Milne (Lib Dem, Denne) said: “The key thing is the question of the viability of the club and the risk that its survival could be threatened without this income stream.”

He called for the application to be deferred so that more information about the club’s finances and viability could be shared with the committee.

Looking at the tree itself, the problem facing the club is that it sits at a lower level than the pitch and its root system would be hugely damaged during work to install the new one.

Objecting to the plans, the council’s arboricultural officer said: “Due to the age of the tree and the high level of root severance required to implement this development – coupled with the above-ground surgery works – in my opinion it is likely that the tree will not be able to recover from these works and will die within a few years of the development, if not sooner.”

Even though there are plans to plant 17 new trees, national planning rules set the bar rather high when it comes to the loss of veteran trees such as the ash, instructing councils to only accept such a loss ‘where there are wholly exceptional circumstances’.

As part of the deferral, officers were asked to work with the club to look into ways of carrying out the work without killing the tree – specifically a method called soldier piling.

The application includes the replacement of the current lighting with six 15m high floodlights, and the installation of a 1.2m high spectator fence to three sides of the pitch.

If approved, there will also be a 4.5m high fence to the western and eastern end, topped with a 1.5m high ball stopnet at both ends of the pitch.

An additional 6m high ball stop fence will be built to protect the neighbouring property on Gorings Mead.

The council received 71 letters of support for the application and 21 objections, with concerns including road safety and an increase in traffic along Gorings Mead and Brighton Road.

To view the application, log on to public-access.horsham.gov.uk and search for DC/22/2257.