HERTSMERE: Watford FC training dome hopes set for refusal

Since 2018, The Hornets have had planning permission for a temporary pitch cover at their London Colney training ground, granted for a maximum five-year period.

Without it, the pitches become “unusable” in bad weather, for example, when the ground freezes.

The dome at Watford FC's training ground. (Image: CovAir/Savills/Hertsmere Borough Council)

At a meeting on Thursday, June 15, Hertsmere Borough Council’s planning committee will debate proposals to keep the dome in place permanently – but town hall planners have said permission should be refused.

According to authority staff, the 22 metre-high dome has a white finish with “minimal” visibility through vegetation.

The report adds: “Due to the incongruous height of the dome, the structure is visible from further afield.

“The dome is visible along the M25, in London Colney and neighbouring villages such as Shenley.”

The entrance at the Watford FC training ground (Image: Action Images)

Officers continued: “The proposed retention of the dome at the site is considered as inappropriate development in the green belt by definition, as it would result in the provision of sports facilities which do not preserve the openness of the green belt.”

According to Hertsmere Borough Council’s planning website, the authority received 22 objections from the public to the inflatable dome and 30 comments in support.

Officers asked Historic England for its views on the venue, close to the Grade II-listed Salisbury Hall – which was built in 1668 and is now home to the de Havilland Aircraft Museum.

Historic England told the authority it had “concerns” but did not object, urging the council to consider limiting the dome use to certain times or a set number of events.

Council staff, who have to put forward advice based on national and local rules, wrote: “The proposed retention of the dome permanently would detract significantly from the setting and wider landscape of… Salisbury Hall.

“It is considered that the existing dome would not therefore provide sufficient public benefit to outweigh the harm to heritage assets.”

Putting forward its case, Watford FC’s team said: “Professional teams seeking promotion to the Premier League again mean that facilities need to be retained and further improved.”

They added there are “community benefits” to the dome – with 13,515 visits by community group participants and local school learners.

Scott Duxbury, the Championship side’s chair, wrote to Hertsmere Borough Council during the planning process.

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He said: “We’ve been at the forefront of ensuring football and other sports, through the all-year-round dome facility, become accessible to as broad a range of people as possible.

“At an elite level, that means we’ve hosted our women’s team training in the dome since its inception.

“With a burgeoning participation rate, the sport itself was boosted massively by England Women’s European Championship success.

“This is already reflected at Watford in participation terms through our development squad – young female players primarily local and in teenage years – who also train within the dome for year-round consistency of provision.

“Of course, this provision also extends to a range of grassroots organisations representing all kinds of disabilities and other protected characteristics.”

Watford FC Women secured their promotion to the Championship after a win against Notts Forest last month.

Planning agent for the team Savills said there are “very special circumstances” to permit green belt building – among them “mitigation” against green belt harm in a relatively enclosed site, the “compelling need for the development to be permanent”, and the team’s community work.

“The rise in professionalism in sport has greatly increased the requirement for support facilities and as a result, the need for indoor training facilities is increasingly important to allow uninterrupted, year-round training,” Savills’ submission reads.

“Without the dome in place, the pitches are unusable when the weather is unfavourable, for example, when frozen.”

Councillors will need to weigh up all the submissions in their debate, and must make their decision according to local and national policies, guided by council staff.