Talks on expansion at CGSSC

Tony Talbot, Chairman

29 January
Continuing with more good news is the fact that this morning we have been informed that the Council have granted us planning permission for the plans the Club submitted for improving the changing rooms and extending the clubhouse. We now await the outcome of our applicaton to the Football Foundation for the grant to enable us to start building. If successful, our facilities will be amongst the best in the area when completed.

24 January
We are pleased to congratulate Ashcroft High School who have just announced they have been awarded in the region of £400,000 for the implementation of an all-weather pitch at the school. As we were closely involved with the school in all aspects of their bid, we now wait to hear the outcome of our application to the Football Foundation for the funds to build new changing rooms. Should we be successful in obtaining these funds, we at CGSSC will make them available for all users of the artificial pitch be they our own footballers ormembers of the community.

Furthermore, our planning application for all the new facilities at CGSSC will be heard by Luton Borough Council this Wednesday, 28th January with hopefully a favourable outcome.

04 December
We are led to believe that the FA have considered our application for the grant and await with baited breath an imminent decision. This could be as soon as next week. Keep your fingers crossed!

17 October
The FA are holding two important meetings at Crawley Green on Tuesday 21st and 28th October. These will be vital as to whether the officials think our applications merits their support. Minor problems have been found with the drawings but the steering committee has moved very quickly to ensure these will be amended before the first of these important meetings.

19 September
Today the application to the Football Foundation and the FA for a grant to extend and improve the changing rooms and to install a new kitchen, office, store room and development room, was couriered to the FA headquarters in Soho Square. At the same time Ashcroft High School's bid for funding for a new all-weather pitch in conjunction with our application was also submitted.

The outline pllaning application to the Town Hall has been submitted and all we can do now is sit back, wait and hope.

The feedback the Secretary has had from Town Hall contacts is that we have the support of local councillors and officers on this massive project which will benefit the community as well as members of CGSSC.

More news when it becomes available.

15 August
Whilst the Chairman relaxed on some sunkissed beach, the Secretary Ian Freeman (above) was in talks with a Council Officer from the Planning Department.

The officer showed great interest in the plans and intended to bring forward the planning application to the next meeting (mid-September). He would also contact Chairman Cllr Hussain with his favourable comments and impress on him how well the Club was run and the superb level of community involvement at Crawley Green.

At the same time the Parks Department were hoping to put a spend to save scheme to the Council's Executive (also in September) in order to install mains drainage at the Club, especially as we are experiencing great problems with the cess pit as membership continues to increase.

8 August
The Steering Committee met with representatives from Ashcroft High School to finalise their Business and Development Plans which are to be submitted to the relevant authorities.

Our Chairman and Treasurer will meet with our Bank's officials on Monday to secure terms for a loan to cover our part of the funding.

The Chairman is meeting with the architect today (9 August) to finalise the plans to go before the Planning Committee and these will be submitted tomorrow (possible 12-week wait before we know if we are successful).

28 July
An officer from the Council has been appointed to our Planning Application case and the Chairman will meet with him on Monday, 28th July, 4.00pm. He has already advised us to proceed immediately with the planning application. We are still trying to arrange a meeting with Cllrs Davies and Hussain to inform them of our plans and to seek any help and advice on the submission.

The opening evening for local residents proved a huge success with no opposition being registered - only support for our improvements. As one non-member and local resident said: "People should remember what this area was like before the Club was built". Praise indeed!

24 July
The Steering Committee will meet with local schools (6.30pm at CGSSC) and invited local football clubs to discuss preferential users options regarding the School's application for an all-weather pitch adjacent to the Club's ground.

7 July
The Steering Committee met with football officials and a member of Ashcroft High School to progress action with the Club's plans for expansion. This coming Thursday (10 July) local residents and ward Councillors have been invited to the Club between 6.00pm and 7.00pm to view the Club's proposed plans. Hopefully these will go to the Council before the end of July.

26 June
The Steering Committee met with Ashcroft High School officials to update committee members on the progress of both individual applications (and consequently, the joint application for improvements).

22 June
The Building Committee met with the architect to finalise the drawings which will be submitted to the Town Hall for planning consent. Before this is done, they will be scrutinised by football officials and then members of the public will be invited to attend a forum when the plans will be displayed.

22 June
The Executive Committee met this evening and agreed, with relevance to information received, to proceed with immediate effect with a planning application for the improvement of the changing facilities (6 new changing rooms) and an extension to the main Clubhouse (including a kitchen, a much-needed office plus an auxillary room). The Committee will be meeting with Councillors and football officials over the next few weeks to discuss the best way forward. This is a momentous period for the Club as it will be a massive financial commitment by Crawley Green in order to provide what we hope will be the best local facilities for footballers of all ages and abilities.

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