Anyone who has followed Alvechurch FC will know that a planning application has been registered with Bromsgrove and Redditch Council for many years. In fact, we started pre-application discussions with the local authority back in late 2018 and the outline application was registered in January 2019. For those who are interested, the reference number is 19/00140/OUT and is for an ‘Outline’ planning application for 25 x 3,4 & 5 bedroom dwellings.

The unprecedented delay in deciding was because Lye Meadow is in Green Belt and as such is considered a contentious application. A significant interruption, due to covid, along with years of submitting surveys and reports brought us right up to date, last Friday 05 September 2025. Late in the day, we received the Planning Officer’s recommendation to approve the application. It’s an understatement to say this recommendation was long overdue but nonetheless, hugely welcome. I have a meeting booked with the Officer later this week to discuss the finer points.

What does this mean?

The planning process usually takes 3 months. This has been nearly seven arduous years but we’ve moved a step closer to realising the dream of delivering a new stadium at The Hayes however, we’re not there yet. The ‘recommendation for approval’ still has to be ratified by Planning Committee and while it is unusual for the Committee to overturn the officer’s recommendation, particularly when the application meets planning policy, it is not unheard of.
Also, the application itself is only ‘Outline’ and this means nothing can be officially decided until a detailed scheme design is approved.

Committee may decide the house types and mix require change and/or even the number of dwellings need to be increased/decreased depending on the requirements of the local area. The recently released Development Plan has identified areas surrounding the village for massive residential sites, with one directly opposite the ground earmarked for over 400 dwellings. Naturally, the residents are not happy about this and protest groups have already been set up. Our own site now looks insignificant when compared to the wider plan and (on a personal note), I believe it would make sense to increase the number but reduce the size of the houses on our application so that other areas in the plan could potentially be revised or even removed.

The application is due before Committee early in October and following this, I’ll be able to share more information.

So when will the club be playing in the new stadium?

Anyone who asked me this question back in 2019, would have been told one or two years - yet here we are in late 2025 and I still don’t know! You won’t blame me for not being able to commit to an answer but what I can do is try to share the process. Firstly, the recommendation needs to be ratified by Committee which should be in the next few weeks. Then we need to talk to potential Developers (house builders) who will then change the application from ‘Outline’ to ‘Detailed’ and submit their design plans. We will meet local residents during this part of the process, and particularly Alvechurch Parish Council, to decide on best usage of the Lye Meadow site for the community.

Once this has all been agreed, the Developer will be selected by the Landowner (Crossland Developments Ltd) and the football club. (A ‘Land Collaboration’ Contract was signed back in 2019 because the club only owns one acre of the 4.5 acre site, while we lease the remaining 3.5 acres). Once the builder has been awarded the contract, they must turn their attention to The Hayes prior to commencement of any building works at Lye Meadow. Essentially, we will get the keys for our new home before moving out of our old one. This is a particularly tricky part of the process and could mean some kind of ground share for some or all of the season when work starts.

Getting back to football

All the work we have done and all the challenges yet to come are for the benefit of Alvechurch Football Club. It’s so we can have a sustainable club which will never require the benefit of a ‘sugar daddy’ type investor. It’s so that players of all ages and abilities can play under the ‘Church’ banner for many years to come without the worry of a Board that could potentially change its plans. We don’t always get it right. Someone once said ‘you can’t please all of the people all of the time’ and this statement fits this journey and our club perfectly.

On the pitch, our Manager, Tim Flowers, has assembled a group of players who really look like they’ve started to gel and I truly believe they could go on to be one of the most successful groups under my tenure. Time will tell but early signs look promising.

We need the Church fans now more than ever and your unwavering support for this club makes what we do worthwhile. A huge week started yesterday with our largest ever away win at Royston and continues with two massive games for our club when the leviathans of Halesowen and Leamington come to our ‘broken down ground with our slopey little pitch’. Let’s give both sides a warm welcome and let’s send them packing with nothing!

Hopefully, if things go the right way over the next part of our journey, we’ll give you a team and a home to be proud of.

Richard Thorndike
Chairman