Hereford FC ‘in jeopardy’ over lighting

A holdup in installing new floodlights at Hereford FC’s ground is putting the whole club at risk, its chairman has warned.

It applied in spring for planning permission to replace existing the floodlight towers at its Edgar Street ground in the city with new smaller ones bearing LED lighting.

But in a 1,500-word email sent on September 16, chairman Chris Ammonds warned of “grave and desperate situation” if the application continues to be held up by National Highways, which manages the A49 Edgar Street alongside the ground.

But though the club had stressed “since at least June” that it wanted the new lights in place for the start of the National League North season on August 10, it has “already missed that by six weeks because of the ongoing requests” from the roads agency.

It has now “suddenly dropped into an email a technical approval process” which will prolong the approval process by several more weeks.

On “enormous, old-fashioned” pylons and in use for at least 50 years, the ground’s current floodlights “on their last legs and could potentially fail at any moment,” , Mr Ammonds explained.

Funding to replace these with “energy-efficient and environmentally friendly” LED lighting erected on “much smaller” towers is now in jeopardy if not carried out soon.

“Should the funding be lost, Hereford FC could not cover the costs and is likely to be left with a bill it cannot pay (and will therefore fold),” his email warns.

Likewise should the current lights fail, the club would also face “being thrown out of the National League North, which would basically mean the end of the club”.

Although the existing pylons “will remain in place for at least 18 months”, Highways had continued to raise their dismantling as an issue.

He said he already raised the issue in person with city MP Jesse Norman and Herefordshire Council chief executive Paul Walker. And he invited

National Highways to attend a forthcoming meeting with the club, fans and local media to discuss the issue.

National Highways warned the club on September 13: “Proceeding without the required approval raises safety concerns for the A49, and in such cases, National Highways may require the removal of the masts.”