Go-ahead for academy expansion gives Mansfield Town a timely boost

The Stags submitted a planning application to Mansfield District Council for the highly-acclaimed RH (Radford and Hymas) Academy, on land off Woburn Lane, Pleasley, 16 months ago.

It was for an indoor training pitch, a full-sized outdoor pitch with four floodlights, a sports hall, changing rooms, gym building and two new car parks, with the promise that the facilities could be used by the public too.

Objections and concerns were raised by some local residents, who were worried about the scale of the development and feared it would lead to extra traffic, noise and lighting and put pressure on the infrastructure of the area, affecting highway safety and drainage.

However, after a lengthy delay, the proposal has now been given the green light by the council, subject to conditions to cover the residents’ worries.

A report by planning officers said the expansion will “deliver material benefits through investment in sports infrastructure, enhanced indoor and outdoor training provision” and “the potential opportunities for wider community use where available”.

The report pointed out that the local highway authority (Nottinghamshire County Council) had not raised any objection, and concluded that the proposal “will not result in an unacceptable impact” on nearby residents, traffic, “landscape character or wider appearance of the area”.

The expansion is just the latest exciting move in the upwardly mobile trajectory of the club since it was rescued by husband-and-wife gurus John Radford (owner and chairman) and Carolyn Radford (chief executive officer) back in 2010.

The academy, which is named after Radford and club director Steve Hymas, opened in 2016. Used by the first team for training, by the academy teams and by students, youngsters and the wider public, it already boasts facilities that are the envy of many professional clubs.

Three years ago, a further site across the road, spanning 5.5 acres, was bought by the Stags from the county council with a view to expanding the academy. Academy director Hymas submitted this planning application, with supporting documents and drawings prepared by the Rainworth-based company, SJI Designs, led by Steve Iberle.

A planning statement said: “MTFC Academy is in need of enhanced training facilities to make optimal use of an existing facility that is operating below its potential.

"The academy teams, MTFC’s Football In The Community programme and local football clubs are currently unable to meet their training and competitive sporting needs due to the lack of provision in the area. There is also a lack of indoor community sport facilities.

"Leisure and sports facilities contribute to sustainable communities. They play an important part in ensuring a good quality of life by supporting the needs of local sport teams.

"This proposal will ensure the site has a long-term future, meet the aims of MTFC to develop it as a sustainable community hub for local sport and enhance a high-quality facility that can be used all year round.”

The expansion would also tackle car parking, which had become “problematic”, particularly during evenings and at weekends because the academy was so well used.

When the club bought the new site, which was formerly allotment land, they described it as “a big step towards our commitment to youth development and community engagement”.

The planning application revealed that the club sought the views of Pleasley residents on the expansion plan as part of an engagement process.

Stags said most residents were overwhelmingly positive and felt it was far preferable to a residential or commercial development on the land.

The statement concluded: “The proposed development will set an example of high-quality sports and leisure facilities, which have been subject to limited investment over the years but, despite this, are still in popular demand.”

The Stags’ academy currently runs teams at under-21 and under-18 levels. It is managed by Richard Cooper, and the coaching staff includes two former professional players in Steve Chettle (ex-Nottingham Forest) and Ian McParland (ex-Notts County).

The ultimate aim of the academy is to provide players for Nigel Clough’s first team, and one academy graduate, 19-year-old midfielder Ollie Taylor, is a fully-fledged member of Stags' squad in League One this season.

On the potential expansion, a club spokesman previously said: “We look forward to welcoming more young players to our ranks and seeing the positive impact of our new facilities.”