Barnet Football Club is to hold two meet-the-public events later this month to hear the views of residents and fans before submitting plans to build a new stadium at Underhill as close as possible to its former ground.
Architects and consultants are adding the final touches to the scheme, but the club is anxious to canvass local opinion before submitting a formal application to Barnet Council before the end of the year.
The two public consultation sessions will be held at the Tudor Hall on the Barnet College campus:
Thursday 14 November from 18.00 to 21.00.
Sunday 17 November from 15.00 to 18.00
There will be a chance to put questions to the club’s planning, architectural and transport consultants.
The club’s owner Tony Kleanthous announced in February that he is prepared to meet the cost of moving the club back to Barnet from its current base at The Hive Football Centre, midway between Edgware and Stanmore.
Since making the announcement the club has been seeking to build up support for the move among local residents and community groups.
Distinctive black and yellow posters declaring “Bring Barnet Back” have appeared at several locations – including outside the Hole in the Wall Cafe on the Great North Road.
In a statement announcing a public consultation, the club says it wants to open a dynamic new stadium for the community and fans.
Mr Kleanthous hopes the move will celebrate the club’s long heritage at Underhill where Barnet played for 106 years before moving to The Hive in 2013.
Pre-application discussions have been held with Barnet Council about a scheme to build a stadium for 8,000 spectators on the sports field of the Ark Pioneer Academy, a new school which was constructed at Underhill on the site of the original stadium.
Mr Kleanthous is offering to share use of a new stadium complex and car park with the Ark Academy which he says would be provided with a sports area for pupils and assistance in easing week-day traffic congestion generated by the school.
Barnet Council has already indicated that approval for a new stadium at Underhill within the Green Belt is “highly unlikely” – a warning reinforced by the council leader Barry Rawlings who says he could not envisage the Department of Education agreeing to the loss of Ark Academy’s sports field.
However, there is a considerable expanse of playing fields alongside Barnet Lane and supporters of the move back to Barnet believe there is space for the new stadium alongside the school’s playing field if that met the council’s approval.
Barnet FC is placing great faith in there being such an upsurge in support for the club’s return that the council will be under pressure to look at the application favourably and be flexible about a site in south Underhill.
