Survey Available Now For Training Ground Consultations
While the Club have taken the decision to reschedule the planned public consultation for supporters over a new state-of-the-art training facility, Season Ticket Holders and Fox Members are invited to provide their thoughts on the proposed development by completing an exclusive survey.
How to complete the survey
The survey is only accessible to Season Ticket Holders and Fox Members who have their online account linked to their ticketing account.
In order to complete the survey, you will need to be logged into your account and visit LCFC.com/account.
The survey will then appear on-screen and can only be completed once per user.
What are we proposing?
LCFC’s vision is to expand upon recent success and become a consistently competitive force in the Premier League.
A key priority to this vision is to develop a world-class training facility at a site in Charnwood, north Leicestershire, previously occupied by Park Hill Golf Club.
This will provide an inspirational “place of work” for the Club’s First Team, Development Squad and Academy, with an aspirational environment for the next generation of professionals.
Project team
The Team collectively have some of the greatest experience and track records in the design and delivery of elite sports training venues.
This experience includes facilities for Tottenham Hotspur FC, Brighton and Hove Albion FC, Liverpool FC and the training centre for England Rugby.
Each design has been sensitively developed with a full understanding of the existing site context and consideration of the impacts of development on key neighbours and receptors.
The Team’s approach is based on a contextually responsive landscape-led masterplan.
The vision
1. To deliver a world-class training centre that provides outstanding facilities for players and ancillary support mechanisms, which meet or exceed other established Premier League and Championship clubs, and reflect the requirements of the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).
2. To develop a world-class training centre that aligns with LCFC’s recruitment ethos, which is committed to the identification of potential players focusing on local football talent, placed in a safe environment and developed by the best coaches with an outstanding support environment.
3. To develop a world-class training centre that is fully integrated into its landscape setting.
Existing LCFC training facilities – Belvoir Drive Training Ground
As football becomes increasingly competitive and dynamic, the small margins gained on the training pitch, in the classroom and in the fitness suite become an ever more important component of success.
Purchased in 1963, Belvoir Drive has played a significant role in the Club’s development, which has gradually been extending by introducing a number of additional pitches and ancillary facilities.
Having served the Club well for many years, the Belvoir Training Ground is unfortunately no longer sufficient to meet the demands of a modern Premier League club.
It is too small and constrained at all sides by neighbouring properties, which prevents the Club from continuing to develop the facilities required for its ongoing growth and to support further success.
The aspiration to develop a new training facility has also been steered by the EPPP, which provides guidance on the requirements of a Category 1 Training Academy.
The EPPP is a long-term strategy with the aim of developing more and better home-grown players and promotes the empowerment of each individual player through a player-led approach.
The development proposals seek to retain and enhance the site’s valuable ecological features.
The key design principles that have shaped the emerging masterplan include:
- Retain, buffer and enhance the more valuable historic hedgerow and tree network.
- Retain and enhance the seasonally wet stream and integrate as a multifunctional ecological corridor.
- Retain the highest quality ponds creating new permanent wildlife friendly waterbodies to compensate for lost ponds.
- Create new habitats that enhance opportunities for notable species.
- Maintain and create a network of wildlife corridors across the site.
Masterplan concept
LCFC is undertaking an extended period of consultation with internal stakeholders, as well as a detailed review of current best practice of comparable training facilities elsewhere in the UK and overseas to inform their aspiration to achieve a world-class training centre for the Club.
In summary, the proposals are expected to comprise the following:
- Develop a coherent masterplan for LCFC with a clear aspirational route from the earliest levels of the Club’s Academy through to the First Team.
- Approximately 14 pitches, plus a mix of small pitches, goalkeeper and training areas.
- Full-size indoor pitch.
- Show pitch with a small spectator area for approximately 499 people.
- Foundation/full-time Academy and First Team building, including accommodation, training and educational facilities.
- Car parking facilities.
- Sport Turf Academy building.
- Ground maintenance building.
- Retain a nine-hole golf course for private use.
- Landscape and habitat mitigation and enhancements.
- Sensitively designed and sited secure boundary and screening.
Transport and access
It is proposed to use the existing access to the site from Park Hill Lane for the new training centre.
We will be seeking to divert the existing bridleway across the site via a new, attractive route to the east of its current location.
The exact route of this diversion is to be confirmed, in consultation with the County Council and key stakeholders.
The proposed training centre is not expected to lead to significant additional car journeys to and from the site.
Nevertheless, to support the planning application, the following will be undertaken:
- A Transport Assessment to consider traffic and transport impacts associated with the proposed development.
- A Green Travel Plan which considers and will promote sustainable travel opportunities to and from the site.
- A Waste Management and Servicing Strategy.
- The design of any access, rights of way or highway improvements required.
Community and next steps
Leicester City remains a club proudly rooted in the local community.
Through the LCFC Community Trust, the Club seeks to forge effective links with local communities, which the Trust and Club are proud to represent.
The proposed training centre will deliver a variety of benefits to the local area and the region, including:
- Benefits of a successful football team in the region, in terms of identity, pride and economic contribution.
- An opportunity to retain and develop local football talent.
- Maximising career opportunities for Academy students who don’t go on to become professional players.
- Employment generating benefits of the development to the local community and county.
- Increased community activities to be delivered through the LCFC Community Trust.
Partnerships with organisations such as the Premier League, Leicestershire County Council and Leicestershire Police enable the LCFC Community Trust to provide a comprehensive range of opportunities which create a positive impact on the lifestyles on young people throughout the county, including programmes targeted at children and vulnerable groups.
Next steps
The Project Team will be working over the next two months to develop detailed designs, listening to the local community and other key stakeholders received during our consultations.
We expect to submit a planning application in late spring 2018 and hope to secure a positive decision from the Planning Authority in the autumn.
Subject to planning approval, LCFC hope to start work on the training centre in autumn 2018, with the ambition of making the 2020/21 season the first in our new facility.
Have your say
The survey is available for completion for Season Ticket Holders and Fox Members on LCFC.com.
The Club are seeking feedback on the principles of what we’re proposing and an understanding of what is important to you. We can then take these comments into account as we develop the detailed plans.
We will feed back to you on how your comments have influenced the plans at the next public exhibition, which will take place around the time that a planning application is submitted, and as part of the planning application.