COUNCILLORS will discuss plans for Barnsley Football Club’s new fanzone at a meeting next week after officers recommended its approval - despite concerns from local residents.
The football club have been vocal about their attempts to increase fans’ experiences at Oakwell on matchdays in recent years.
As part of that, the potential of a fanzone at the ground has been mooted - and plans were officially submitted to the council’s planning board earlier this year, with the report set to go before the board on Tuesday.
Situated in the East Stand car park, the new zone will be made up of shipping containers that serve food and drinks - as well as a stage for local acts to play.
It’s hoped that around 650 people will be able to fit into the new fanzone, with a covered area for fans to stay no matter the weather.
A report, which will be discussed by councillors, states the site will also be used on five occasions away from matchdays.
This use is likely to be out of season and involve the screening of other sports events.
It said: “The proposal would involve siting container style units and perimeter fencing to define an area to be used before football matches at Oakwell and on five other non-match days a year.
“The larger shipping containers would be used for the sale of food and beverage and smaller containers would accommodate toilets and a chilled store.
“The containers and perimeter fencing would have a total height of 2.59 metres and the events canopies/marquees would have a total height of 6.54 metres.
“Within the defined area, external seating areas, canopies to provide some protection from the weather and a stage with display screens would be located.
“It is also proposed that a generator will be sited next to this area to power the proposal.”
The plans were submitted to the council earlier this year - with both the highways and pollution control department initially expressing their concerns - though highways has since backed the scheme.
Residents also expressed their concerns regarding parking problems, antisocial behaviour and litter.
The report added: “The proposed fanzone is located to the east of the stadium and this will go some way to reduce the impact of noise from the fanpark as the stadium will physically block some impact of noise from the use.
“However, the fanpark is located around 100 metres from the nearest dwellings at Oakwell View to the south, and 150 metres from the next nearest dwellings on Grove Street to the west.
“In both cases, the intervening space is car parking with no physical structures to limit the impact of noise.
“Together with the proposed conditions that the fanpark is to be used on no more than five non-match days, that the fanpark shall accommodate no more than 650 people - plus staff - at any one time and to limit hours of construction, it is concluded that the impact of the proposed use of the fanpark is acceptable and will not have a significant adverse impact on the residential amenity of nearby dwellings.”
The application is set to be approved at Tuesday’s meeting - subject to planning conditions which include a test of the proposed generator.
“The proposal also indicates the intention to locate a generator on site temporarily to power the proposed fanpark, with the club’s longer-term aspiration being to update the incoming power supply in order to accommodate the fanpark using the club’s supply,” the report said.
“No details of the generator have been supplied and it is considered that the generator does have the potential to cause disturbance to local residents and businesses.
“Accordingly, and reflecting the advice of pollution control, a condition is recommended to require details of the proposed generator and any noise mitigation measures, to be agreed before it is brought on to site.
“Subject to this condition, it is concluded that the proposal would not be likely to result in an increase in noise that would unacceptably affect local residents and workers.”
