Bradford-on-Avon Rugby Club has received planning permission to construct an indoor training facility at its Winsley grounds, overcoming local opposition over the building’s size and appearance. Some residents raised concerns, with one comparing the proposed structure to an “Amazon warehouse.”
The amateur club is a cornerstone of the community, offering rugby training for boys and girls as young as five and fielding 20 teams across junior, adult, and veteran categories. Having outgrown its original home at St Laurence Comprehensive School, the club moved to greenfield land near Winsley, two miles from Bradford-on-Avon.
Earlier this year, the club announced plans for a new indoor facility adjacent to its current clubhouse and launched a fundraising campaign to support the project. Initial backlash from local residents prompted extensive revisions to the design, as the club, its architects, and planning officials sought a balance between community concerns and the club’s requirement for a sufficiently large training space.
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On Wednesday, Wiltshire Council’s western area planning committee evaluated the application for a building measuring 50.5 metres in length, 33.6 metres in width, and 9.5 metres in height — roughly half the size of a full rugby pitch. The structure’s design mimics agricultural buildings and features green cladding that fades from dark at the base to light at the roofline, helping it blend into the surroundings.
Planning officers noted that this revised building is smaller than the initial proposal, which was 58.6 by 36.6 metres and 12.6 metres tall. Clive Roberts, the rugby club’s director, emphasized the need for a large indoor facility due to a four-week annual period when the pitches are waterlogged and unusable. “We train 340 players every week. This facility would provide 1,200 additional training hours over those weeks,” he said. “I urge you to consider that this is a good thing for the community.”
The proposal also received backing from Winsley Cricket Club, which faces challenges finding winter training venues. A cricket representative welcomed the prospect of sharing the new facility, calling it “a fantastic sporting facility.”
Despite this support, Winsley Parish Council chairman Ian Berry questioned the justification for such a large build to serve a limited period. He highlighted concerns about the impact on the small community of 2,000 residents, particularly regarding increased traffic on narrow village roads. Local opposition was vocal, with one resident dismissing the project as an oversized warehouse that landscaping could not conceal.
Councillor Nigel White, who recently took office representing Winsley & Westwood, sympathized with the club’s enthusiasm but remained unconvinced of the building’s necessity given its significant size—twice the height of any existing club structure.
Conversely, Councillor Bill Parks found no substantial grounds to reject the application. After thoughtful discussion, the committee voted by majority to approve the proposal, allowing Bradford-on-Avon Rugby Club to move forward with their much-anticipated indoor training facility.