A crowdfunding bid has been launched to pay for a High Court challenge to save a Newbury football pitch.

Newbury Community Football Group (NCFG) wants to raise £9,500 to contribute to the legal costs for local man Alan Pearce.

It has already reached £2,950.

Mr Pearce is single-handedly challenging West Berkshire Council (WBC) about the legality of its plans – which the NCFG says closed the Faraday Road pitch unnecessarily in 2018, preventing sports being played by members of the local community across all ages.

In August 2022 the High Court agreed that there were clear and sufficient grounds for a full Judicial Review.

The case revolves around claims that WBC officers materially misled its own planning committee and “erred in law” to grant planning permission for a Sports Hub at Newbury Rugby Club as a “stand-alone proposal” – not a replacement for Faraday Road.

The full Judicial Review was heard at the High Court in London on January 19, the judge is now considering both sides of the argument, and is due to decide in three weeks time.

Community football groups hired top legal help in the form of Kings Counsel to fight their case at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. 

The court session was about whether West Berkshire had played by the planning rules – by agreeing to replace the old ground with a new ground at Monks Lane rugby club.

West Berkshire Council owns the Faraday Road pitch, and stopped play there in 2018. 

The original plan was to develop it with flats as part of the London Road Industrial Estate regeneration. The council then changed its mind, and instead decided the pitch site would be better suited to more office and industrial space. 

“They have wasted so much tax payers’ money on legal cases and consultancies and this has got no further forward,” said Paul Morgan from the Newbury Community Football Group, which has consistently lobbied against the council’s plans.

Lee McDougall of the NCFG added: “We want this ground retained for football. The council should have had a proper replacement pitch before closing this.

“Logic is defied now because it has become a point of principle.”

The council remains steadfast in its view that the pitch at Monks Lane, to be shared with Newbury Rugby Club is good news for the town.

It plans to spend millions on a new 3G pitch with club house and stands but cannot put spades in the ground until the outcome of the court case is known.

“We can’t get on and do that because of this court case,” said Graham Bridgman (Con, Tilehurst), deputy leader of the council.

“Once we get the judgement, and I very much trust it will go in favour of the council, we will get on and build that facility.”

The link to the crowdfunding page can be found here – www.gofundme.com/high-court-challenge-to-west-berks-council