Latest AFC Fylde development to be funded by 100-home housing scheme
A 100-home scheme in Lancashire is to be proposed, as part of a plan to fund further development at AFC Fylde’s Mill Farm Sports Village in Wesham.
The club wants to build a 1,850-seat stand and indoor training dome which will complete the ambitious non-league club’s multimillion-pound stadium project, which got under way eight years ago.
The indoor dome will feature a 3G pitch for use by the club and the wider community and will be the largest indoor facility of its kind in Lancashire.
The development is the latest stage in the masterplan for Mill Farm created by Preston-based architecture, design and master planning practice Frank Whittle Partnership (FWP).
To assist in the funding of this latest phase of the development, the club is also seeking outline planning permission for up to 100 new houses on the site.
As part of the development, a new traffic light-controlled spine road connecting Fleetwood Road to Coronation Way will be built to provide better traffic flow throughout the site to both the new residential area and the existing businesses.
The new stand, which will be for home supporters, will also house the club’s new museum and state-of-the-art fan zone, along with the usual matchday food and beverage facilities. Improved matchday car parking is also an important part of the plan.
Integral to the new ground development is a new matchday control room and grounds store which will be incorporated into the existing West Stand.
The Mill Farm project, just off junction three of the M55 motorway, is being delivered from concept to completion by FWP’s specialist sports multi-disciplinary team, with PWA Planning leading the planning application process.
FWP has been involved in Mill Farm from day one, working with club owner, David Haythornthwaite, to shape the plans for the mixed-use development and to create a special home for AFC Fylde.
David Robinson, managing partner at FWP, said: “The North Stand is the final piece of the stadium jigsaw and completes the vision to create a modern vibrant ground for AFC Fylde that matches its EFL ambitions.
“The proposed indoor training dome and 3G pitch are also part of that vision and combined with the existing outdoor facilities will deliver a sporting facility that is second to none in the area. It will not only benefit the club but also the wider community who will have access to it every day of the week.
“Mill Farm’s development as a sports village has been made possible by associated enabling projects, including several established and highly successful commercial and industrial developments on the site which have already brought over 200 permanent and 400 temporary jobs to the area.”
The proposed North Stand
The current Mill Farm stadium includes Bradley’s, a 290-capacity sports bar, a 70-seater Italian restaurant, Milano’s, with an ‘al fresco’ roof terrace, Aroma café, serving Costa Coffee, Churchill’s, a large conference and event facility, and an 18-bedroom five-star hotel.
Also, currently on site is an Aldi supermarket, a 24-hour EuroGarages petrol station integrating a ‘Spar local’ and a Gregg’s Bakery, together with fast food outlets KFC, Burger King and Starbucks.
Mill Farm is also the site of the Fylde Sports and Education Centre which, as well as being the home of Fylde Hockey Club, also has as six- and seven-a-side and two full size 3G pitches.
David Haythornthwaite said: “This is an extremely exciting development for everyone living on the Fylde Coast and indeed beyond. The new stadium will be incredible inside and have facilities that will equal those at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, wildly regarded as the best in the world. We have some really creative and innovative plans for the new ‘home end’ and I know our fans can’t wait to get in and experience them.
“The new indoor dome, if approved, will raise the bar on sporting facilities in the area and will provide something that even a lot of the Championship teams don’t have. It’s a really great opportunity and we hope the local politicians and planning officers will get behind it.’’
Paul Walton, director of Preston-based PWA Planning, said: “It’s great to be working alongside AFC Fylde again to expand on the success of Mill Farm, which has helped put the club on the map locally, as well as in the world of football. This expansion will add another dimension to a stadium which is already incredibly well equipped for a team in the sixth tier of English football.”
The development will be built by Collinson Construction.
