INSTEAD of what have been described as “dilapidated sheds”, Crediton United Football Club could have a new all-purpose building to use as a clubhouse plus new changing rooms for ladies’ teams beside the current changing rooms and tea shack. 

The club is applying to Mid Devon District Council to pull down and replace the green sheds at the entrance to its field on Lords Meadow with a new building with a store, toilets, cooking and viewing area. 

The sheds now have a flat corrugated sheeting roof with no roof-space.  The existing clubhouse has two changing rooms plus a smaller one for officials.

It is proposed to build two more changing rooms beside this, taking up the corner, for the ladies’ teams.  All have their own toilets and two more toilets for public use would be built. 

There would also be a hospitality or function room, a kitchen and food storage space as well as a new ticket office. 

Information with the application says that the lawn between the changing rooms there now and the buildings near the entrance has a very limited habitat value and much would be taken up with the new building. 

An ecological survey showed the three buildings do not provide suitable opportunities for bats to roost.  Foraging in the area would be limited by the club’s location in a heavily-industrialised part of Crediton and by the lines of non-native Monterey cypress trees that were planted around the pitch some years ago. 

Full details can be seen on the Mid Devon District Council website, planning application number 23/00326/FULL.

The site is owned by Mid Devon District Council.

If the application receives the backing of Mid Devon District Council’s planners, the club will seek a grant from the FA towards the works but it is likely there will be fundraising by the club towards the costs.

Michael Broome is handling details of the application on behalf of the club and the structural designer and planning consultant is Mr Keith Hopkins of  Kewilljoe Ltd Co, Tarka Way, Crediton.