SUPPORTERS of St Albans City Football Club were celebrating a home win following a council decision to let the club fully enclose its Clarence Park ground.

Around 70 Saints fans, daubed in yellow and blue, formed a capacity crowd in the St Albans District Council chamber for the planning meeting on Monday, December 14.

And the fans were not disappointed as members of the plans central sub-committee unanimously gave the go-ahead for a 2.4 metre boundary fence at the York Road end of the ground, despite the objections of nearby residents.

Club chairman Mr Lee Harding said: "We've known all along that this club has the backing of its supporters and the city and I am delighted that we have now received the full support of our local authority."

The fence will allow St Albans City to complete the ground improvements necessary for promotion to the Conference league.

Mr Harding said: "We are proud to represent the city of St Albans and we are now in a position to compete with the best outside the Football League."

The council received 29 letters objecting to the plan, mainly from people living close to the ground.

Ms Christine Brown-Quinn addressed the planning committee on behalf of the residents.

She said: "It is the modernisation of the grounds within Clarence Park that the residents are so concerned about. The fact that so many residents have objected should be taken into account."

Their main complaints were the appearance of the fence in a conservation area and higher attendances leading to fears of drunkenness, vandalism, noise and traffic problems.

But councillors stressed many of the residents' concerns were not planning matters and could not be taken into consideration.

Councillor Malachy Pakenham said most of the objections did not focus on the real issues and were "more akin to football teams like Millwall than St Albans City."

The committee sided with the club provided it followed strict planning conditions about the maintenance of the fence.

These included screening the fence with plants and shrubs, painting it green, using sound absorbing materials and an undertaking to remove the fence if the club was to leave Clarence Park.

Councillor Jennifer Stroud said: "The fence with screening will look better than the current wooden fence."

She added: "The club wants to progress, we want it to progress."

Landlord permission for the fence was given by the council leisure committee on Thursday, December 10. Now planning permission has also been granted, work will start on Monday, January 4.

Ground improvements need to be completed by April 1 if the club is to meet the deadline set by the Football Conference.

Mr Harding said: "It's going to be tight time-wise, but I'm confident the ground will be ready for a further inspection by the Conference in early April."

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