The planning application for a football pitch in Brockwell Park floodlit from 12-metre towers has been withdrawn.

A letter posted on the council planning application website, which appears to grant permission, has a large note in bold red capitals on it saying: “Decision not valid recommendation does not match reasons/conditions”.

The application, which would have seen the new artificial pitch built over an existing disused “cinder” pitch area and part of a wildflower meadow had been proposed by Lambeth council’s leisure department.

Most of the £800,000 cost would have come from a grant from the Football Foundation, but the council would have been responsible for expensive maintenance.

A council briefing revealed that the impetus for the scheme came from a national planning exercise and that the total cost would be about £800,000 with £200,000 of this coming from the council and the rest from the Football Foundation.

The foundation is a charity established by the Premier League, The Football Association and government to provide grass roots football facilities.

More than 100 football teams are based in Lambeth. The briefings says an “online consultation” revealed significant interest from many local clubs that are unable to train or play in the borough.

Brockwell Park originally had three Redgra (cinder) pitches. One is now the BMX track and the other became the wildflower meadow in 2019.

The required specification of a new pitch means that the last old Redgra pitch space is too small to accommodate the new one. 

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