Consultation in full swing as Barnet Football Club adds final touches to a planning application for new stadium at Underhill

At the opening of public consultations over plans for a new stadium at Underhill, officials and consultants representing Barnet Football Club insisted that the club’s owner Tony Kleanthous is ready to be as flexible as possible about a future site.

A planning application due to be submitted before the end of the year proposes siting the new stadium on the school playing field of the Ark Pioneer Academy – an idea which has already been rejected in advance by the Ark multi-academy trust.

Barnet FC hopes there might be a change of mind once there can be detailed negotiations with the trust.

But if that is not forthcoming the club would be prepared to move to another location within the grounds of the much larger Barnet Playing Fields off Barnet Lane.

Daniel Martin, the club’s commercial manager, said Mr Kleanthous decided to apply for permission to build the new stadium on the school playing field because that was as close as possible to the site of the original Underhill stadium and because the club had to suggest a site to enter the pre-application planning process.

“Unless we suggested a site and made an application, the council was not prepared to discuss our proposal to move the club back to Barnet.

“We didn’t want to stand still, and for the sake of the club’s future we have to go ahead with this application.

“But of course, we want to co-operate with the Ark Academy and the trust, and we would be only too willing to discuss with Barnet Council other possible locations which are as close as possible to the original stadium at Underhill.”

Mr Martin said that as part of the Bring Barnet Back campaign the club was hoping to commission a survey to indicate the economic boost for High Barnet that might result from returning the club to Underhill in a new £14 million sports complex with a stadium for 7,000 spectators.

“This would be a very big investment for High Barnet. The club is not asking for any help with funding. We are convinced it would be a big commercial gain for the town as well as a great boost for local football.”

Since Mr Kleanthous announced in the spring that he was ready to return the club to Underhill from its current stadium at The Hive, Edgware, the Bring Barnet Campaign claims there has been an overwhelming response in favour of the move.

Sean McGrath (right) planning consultant with WSP, said the school playing field was chosen as the proposed site for the stadium because it would be closer to the other urban development and have less impact on the Green Belt.

There would be considerable advantages for Ark Academy as the scheme would include the provision of a new playing field for the school plus four multi-use games areas available to pupils and expanded car parking.

Another reason for building the stadium on the site the club had suggested was that Barnet Council and the Greater London Authority had previously considered its possible use by Barnet FC.

At that time, terms for a lease could not be agreed, Mr Kleanthous sold the Underhill stadium and moved the club to The Hive.

Mr McGrath said there would be no difficulty moving to another site within Barnet Playing Fields – an area which Barnet Council has also suggested might be a site for a possible sports complex.

Adam Dobson (above left), of AND architects, insisted the design of the stadium had followed a green approach. The aim had been to keep the carbon footprint as low as possible.

“Rather than concrete walls around the stadium there will be hedges.”

Apart from the main stadium building with a medical centre and changing rooms on the ground floor, there would be two floors above with offices and other facilities.

“The rest of the stands around the stadium would be of light-weight construction, all open air, and there would be no other buildings such as kiosks as there would be sufficient parking space for food and drink traders on match days.”

Long-time Barnet FC supporter Aydogan Ruane-Mehmet (above) says one reason for the popularity of the Bring Barnet Back campaign is that they have made great use of social media to inform supporters and win back former fans.

A video in support the campaign has had 265,000 hits on Twitter and the club’s podcasts were judged to be the best of any non-League club in 2023.

“We went up Barnet High Street and all around the area canvassing for support from the pubs, cafes, fish and chip shops and the other outlets.

“Loads of the traders and businesses are pinning their hopes on us pulling this off. They all say they really miss the trade they used to get when Barnet was playing at home at Underhill.”

Former fans were among those at the first consultation meeting at Tudor Hall, including Tony Swingler (above right) who currently supports Hadley FC which plays at Brick Lane, Arkley.

“If Barnet came back to Underhill the club would definitely have a long-term future, but I am not so sure if they stay at The Hive.”

Geoff Mitchell (above left), a Barnet fan who has a season ticket at the Hive, agreed that the club would do so much better if it was back at Underhill.

“I’m 70 this month and my dad took me to see Barnet for the first time when I was five.

“We all want Barnet to come back home so that we can celebrate our local club where it belongs.

“We are doing well as a club. We nearly got promoted from the National League to the Football League last season and we are all hoping that we might be back in Division 2 next season.”

A second consultation at the Tudor Hall, High Barnet, will be held on Sunday 17 November from 15.00 to 18.00