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New Underhill Plans
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All I want for Christmas…
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By:
Max Bygraves
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23/12/2024
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This article has been viewed 759 times.
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On Friday morning, I had the huge privilege of attending the club’s press conference to unveil the updated plans for the New Underhill Stadium. This was to represent the Bring Barnet Back campaign following a much appreciated invite from the club.
A rather under the weather Tony Kleanthous did a short introduction, highlighting his flu-like bug as a reason for more of a supporting role. In the event, there were several interjections and additions - it was apparent how enthused he was by what was being shared, despite being poorly.
The presentation was given by Manuel Nogueria from And Architects. Though I’m a huge supporter of this move in any case, what was shared did not fail to impress.
The main headline is that the proposed site is now different to the plans which went to public consultation back in November. Both consultation events held in Tudor Hall in High Barnet were well attended and the club, architects and planners were given a lot of feedback.
There had been concerns about the viability of building on the school field, with the Ark Academy not keen to give away part of their footprint, irrespective of what the club was willing to offer them in collaboration.
The new ground will now sit on Barnet Playing Fields, slightly further away from the original Underhill site but with no infringement on school land and reducing changes to the surroundings with things like the children’s playground remaining where it is. When there with my two kids the following day, they were delighted by the prospect of a visit to one of their favourite parks followed by a Barnet game!
It was made clear that the shift in location came following feedback at November’s consultation. There was a real emphasis from all who spoke about the desire to work together and listen to views along the way. This feels very different to when we’ve been in similar scenarios before.
The architect went into design detail beyond anything I would have imagined. Even the angle of the pitch and sunlight around 3pm kick off times across the course of the season have been considered. No stone unturned.
The presentation began with a virtual video tour of the site. The main access will be from Barnet Lane with further pedestrian access to be bettered coming from Priory Grove and Grasvenor Avenue, too. With the change in location, the parking drop off feature in the original plan is gone. A smaller car park for 40-50 cars will be a feature, but the emphasis will be on supporting sustainable travel for supporters.
From data taken in travel surveys at The Hive last season, an overwhelming percentage of respondents stated they would be in a position to walk or use the plentiful links via public transport. The beauty of supporting your local club.
The stadium design is light weight, light touch and with every intention of it blending into the landscape, not dominating it. Given the famous sloping nature of this part of Barnet, once again we will be using a slope to our advantage. Manuel Nogueria explained how by building into the soil and effectively, into the ground, this will reduce the elevation of the exterior of the stadium.
Every consideration has clearly been made to make this a smooth transition for those it will impact. On the side of the ground closest to Grasvenor Avenue, the back of the stand will be backed by a hedge to the same height. This won’t be the only greenery. Additional tree planting will happen across the site to improve the biodiversity of the area.
Further to this, there will also be an attenuation pond built. No, I didn’t know what that was either. This is a pond designed to hold and gradually release water to prevent flooding. This has long been an issue at that bottom end of the playing fields and will bring benefit to those using the site for recreation, walks and running. The current London Loop path won’t be at all impacted by the development.
Back to the stadium itself, the one main stand on the west side towards Barnet Lane will be the main functioning part of the site. The aim is that, other than toilets, the other three stands won’t require any power, significantly reducing the carbon output of the site. Traders will be brought in with trailers on matchdays rather than built in kiosks to enable this to be the case in the three smaller stands.
The main stand will be on three levels although the nature of the build won’t make this appear quite so imposing. Access to the seats will be on the initial level, on the second floor will be the mixed area for media, police controls and a medical centre similar to something that has been successful at The Hive. On the top floor, will be a series of hospitality boxes. These will be used throughout the week for a variety of events with a focus on ensuring activities are community based, such as schools using them for presentations.
Modern floodlights will also limit light pollution, built into the top corners and honing in just on the pitch below. It won’t be quite the beacon Underhill was from top of Barnet Hill.
Tony Kleanthous ambitiously concluded by stating he hoped to have us in the ground ready for the 2026/2027 season. Sean McGrath from ASP (planning) was a little more tempered in his outlook but felt 2027 was certainly achievable. All I can do as I type this out is smile at the thought. Can you imagine the feeling of that first game back in Barnet?
As exciting as this all is, it has to be remembered this is only the submission of plans. These things take a long time and it is unlikely for something like this to be a totally smooth or linear process. The timeframe is that the plans need to be validated in January and then would go to a committee meeting in March if all deadlines are met. Hopefully by the end of this season, we’ll have a clearer indication of where we stand and what next.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve had lots of positive engagement with the Bring Barnet Back campaign. The Barnet Christmas Fayre at the start of this month was great. There was such a buzz from so many locals at the prospect of the club returning home.
We are all busy and have lives to live but whatever time or energy you can give to beating the Bring Barnet Back drum, please do. Now more than ever. We have to show those that will be making the big decisions how much the community wants it.
Things are moving in the right direction. It’s a Christmas filled with hope on this front. Together, we will Bring Barnet Back!
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