ALVECHURCH chairman Richard Thorndike has called on supporters to aid the club in pushing through a move to their new home.
Currently based at Lye Meadow on Redditch Road, the Southern League Premier Central side are due to move to a new site at The Hayes in West Heath where their new home will be constructed.
While Church have acquired the land – immediately opposite to Birmingham City’s Wast Hills training ground – the club are essentially out of pocket while paying for the two sites at their current and future base and will require further funding to meet the minimum ground grading requirements at Step Three of the non-League ladder.
In order to meet the extra expense placed upon them, Alvechurch are in need of a green light from Bromsgrove District Council to obtain planning permission for houses to be constructed at Lye Meadow.
With complications arising over the status of the Redditch Road ground as being suitable for development – a plot which was originally deemed a brownfield site within green belt land – Thorndike has taken the decision to launch a Change.org petition to apply pressure on the council to stick with their original assessment.
Speaking on the status of the petition, which had gathered more than 1,800 signatures at the time of writing – just shy of the club’s 2,500 goal – the Alvechurch chairman had been left stunned by the show of support from the local community.
“We were encouraged to seek votes of support and we were told that anything over 100 would be useful and that 500 would be amazing,” said Thorndike.
“Thank you to everyone who has signed. We’re confident it really will make a difference.”
As it stands, Alvechurch will leave Lye Meadow after their existing lease from the landlords expires on May 31 – at which stage their switch to The Hayes becomes of crucial importance to the club and fan base ahead of the 2021/22 season.
With the 20-acre site offering the potential for a 3G pitch, clubhouse and four additional pitches, the project would certainly prove fruitful from a community sense – should the club’s move go through.
To support Alvechurch’s cause, visit change.org/p/bromsgrove-district-council-planning-department-save-alvechurch-fc-by-helping-them-move.
