Bees United Chair, Brian Burgess, made the following address to the Isleworth and Brentford Area Planning Committee in support of Brentford FC's proposed alterations to Griffin Park.

Statement on behalf of Brentford FC and Brentford Football Community Society Ltd

I am Brian Burgess, the chairman of Brentford Football Community Society Ltd, Brentford’s supporters’ trust, known as Bees United, and I am speaking, in support of the Club’s application to carry out improvements to Griffin Park.

The board of Brentford FC includes four directors nominated by Bees United, of which two are executive directors who are responsible for managing the Club and for building strong links with the local community.

Our vision as a trust is to create a pioneering example of a community owned football club, operated as a social enterprise with a modern stadium providing a range of services for local people including education and health related activities.

This year the club proudly celebrated 100 years of playing at Griffin Park but unfortunately, with lack of investment in recent years, the ground does not provide the facilities expected by spectators of today. This means that the club is struggling to continue to finance itself and to meet current health and safety standards. At present some supporters have no cover to protect themselves from the rain, when watching a match, or buying refreshments, our arrangements for disabled facilities are poor and toilet amenities are inadequate. Furthermore, The Metropolitan Police have indicated, in their letter of 12th December 2004 to the Borough’s Planning Office that they may require closure of sections of the ground, if improvements are not made.

The Football Stadia Improvement Fund is very aware of the essential need for the proposed works and this is confirmed by their generous grant offer, in the sum of over £1.75m. Unfortunately, this offer will expire if planning consent is not granted tonight.

We are grateful to Hounslow Council for the assistance that they are giving us in achieving our principal goal of securing a suitable site for a new community stadium. This is aim is likely to take some 5 years to achieve and the club needs to proceed immediately with these improvements to Griffin Park, if it is to meet its commitments in the meantime.

The proposed development is also vital for the continuation and improvement of the Club’s growing community activities. These include our acclaimed Football in the Community Programme that involves over 30,000 children in the area and the new Griffin Park Learning Zone, where we deliver the government sponsored “Playing for Success” educational programme, in association with Hounslow Council’s Study Support team. The planning proposals before you include provision of additional classrooms in the New Road Stand which are fundamental to our plans to extend these educational programmes for children and adults in the borough.

We appreciate that it is natural for adjoining residents to have reservations about any development plans and this must be particularly so, if they live in close proximity to a long established football stadium. The Club has held several meetings with residents surrounding Griffin Park, to explain our proposals and they appear to have been generally well received. We are, however, aware that there are various concerns from some residents, particularly regarding the outlooks from properties in New Road.

The proposed development in this part of the stadium adjoining New Road is within the remaining developed structure of the original terracing that made way in 1986, for the present seated stand. I respectfully contend, that the present ugly outlook towards, existing rear walls, the old steel girders and the back of the stand, the outlook will in fact, be improved by the new construction that we propose.

I understand the submitted specialist lighting studies demonstrate that the proposals meet planning lighting guidance. The Club will, of course be pleased to accept appropriate conditions, as indicated in the officers’ report, that may be required in the granting of consent. The Club is optimistic, that with continued good progress of our plans to develop a new stadium in the borough that this development at Griffin Park, will be for a limited time only, of probably about five years.

Refusal of this application will deny Brentford Football Club the opportunity to carry out its obligations regarding essential works, needed to satisfy improved requirements, for the health and safety of our customers and will jeopardise the planned improvements to our financial viability. The plans are also vital to the club’s determination to continue to provide successful league football in The Borough and its ability to continue with the development of our unique role in community activities, especially regarding youth development.

The work of Bees United and the Club already has a high profile nationally for our efforts to turnaround its financial performance, to build strong links with the local community and to achieve community ownership through the trust. Our efforts to open up the stadium for community use have been highlighted as a case study in a national resource guide promoted by the Football Association and the Home Office Active Communities Unit. Brentford is regarded as a trailblazer in the football industry and the proposed improvements to Griffin Park are essential to enable the Club to survive and continue this pioneering work. The proposals will benefit local residents and neighbours by improving the physical and visual amenity Tonight I urge you to grasp this unique opportunity by approving planning consent.

Thank you