English Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth has today (Wednesday) been granted permission to build a new multi-million-pound training complex on the site of the former Canford Magna Golf Club.
Borough of Poole councillors have unanimously voted in favour of the club’s planning application, which was submitted last month.
Bournemouth noted that the application was subject to Secretary of State referral but was not called in, clearing the way for the club to start developing the 57-acre site.
The site will bring Bournemouth’s first-team development squad, academy and pre-academy training operations and facilities into one location.
The site will comprise ten full-size pitches, three junior pitches, an indoor artificial playing surface, state-of-the-art medical, fitness, sports science and rehabilitation facilities, administrative space and a theatre for press conferences.
Club chief executive Neill Blake said: “I’m delighted that the Secretary of State has not called in our planning application for the club’s proposed new training complex. This means we can start work on an exciting project; one which is crucial for the present and future of AFC Bournemouth.
“While it is important to provide Premier League facilities for Premier League players, we also want to give the region’s youngsters the best place to develop their talent, and we believe this complex will be the perfect place to do that.”
Last July, Bournemouth revealed that it would begin drawing up plans for a new stadium on the Kings Park site, with planning application set to be submitted this year. Bournemouth currently plays at the 11,400-capacity Vitality Stadium (pictured), which is by some distance the smallest ground in the Premier League.
Image: Matthew Jackson
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