Harrogate Town announce plans to build new £2.75 million training facility
Harrogate Town have announced plans to build a brand-new £2.75 million training facility at Wetherby Racecourse.
The League Two Sulphurites, who currently train at Rothwell Juniors in Leeds, have been in need of their own permanent base since arriving in the Football League (EFL) in 2020.
That promotion required them to rip up their artificial 3G playing surface at Wetherby Road and replace it with a grass one to comply with EFL rules, meaning that their home ground was no longer a viable option for hosting multiple sessions on a daily basis.
As a consequence, the club’s many teams and Player Development Centres have been forced to train at various facilities around the region.
But, the proposed construction of their very own training ground consisting of both artificial and grass pitches with floodlights, and a one-story clubhouse with parking would mean that Town would be able to ‘meet the needs of men’s and women’s teams, Player Development Centres and the club’s community foundation activities’.
The construction and operation of the facility will be funded by the club, with the land it will sit on remaining the property of Wetherby Steeplechase Committee Ltd.
A public consultation event will take place on July 17 in The Ballroom, Wetherby Town Hall from 5pm-8pm. On the same date, a consultation website will also go live, allowing the proposals to be viewed online, and feedback to be submitted.
Following the consultation event and a review of feedback received, a planning application will then be submitted to Leeds City Council.
The application pack will provide further information on the proposals, including a full set of drawings prepared by local architects Bowman Riley and assessments in relation to flood risk, highways, heritage, ecology, biodiversity, energy and other planning considerations.