Council to vote on plan for new ‘fan zone’ and fencing at Scarborough Athletic FC stadium

Scarborough Athletic Football Club’s (SAFC) stadium could see the creation of a new fan zone as well as improved fencing around the pitch and perimeter if senior councillors decide to progress the plans.

The authority’s cabinet is set to discuss the issue at an upcoming meeting on Tuesday, January 17 and it could give “in principle” approval to the scheme, with costs to be divided.

The plan would see the club relocate its Victory Bar, shop and storage, and add a new office unit with ticket sales facilities and utilities.

The plans for the site will be considered by Scarborough Borough Council's cabinet

The cost of the Fan Zone will be covered by the club which has applied for £50,000 from the Premier League Club Development fund.

Scarborough Sports Village, located off Ashburn Road, opened to the public in 2017 and has been the home of SAFC and Scarborough Ladies FC since then.

Improvements to the fencing at the stadium are also proposed as the “current fencing is low enough to climb over” and has “created security issues on some match days” according to the authority.

A council report states that the plan would “improve the sustainability of SAFC and improve the experience for football supporters on match days”.

It also said that the plan would improve the “safety and security” of the football ground and the sports village and “prevent damage to the pitch and facilities”.

However, the cost of increasing the height of the perimeter fence – which is currently 1.8m high – and installing appropriate gates is estimated to be £35,000, some of which could be borne by the authority.

The report proposes that the “ongoing procurement exercise for the ‘naming rights’ is utilised to complete the fencing works required” but adds that any remaining balance would be split equally between the council and Everyone Active.

If approved, a licence will be granted to SAFC to undertake the fencing project “which will be overseen by the council’s project team” while the club will also have to apply for the relevant premises licenses to operate a licensed bar in the fan zone.

The creation of the fan zone is not expected to take place until after April 1 when Scarborough Council ceases to exist and is replaced by a new North Yorkshire Council.