Hornets vow to fight on for home of their own

Horsham chairman Kevin Borrett is vowing to fight on after local councillors rejected plans that would have seen the Hornets move into a new home.

Despite the recommendations of planning officers, Horsham Ditsrict Council voted 13-9 with one abstention on Tuesday night against plans to build a new community stadium at Hop Oast and a housing development that would fund the project.

The first application was to include two all-weather 3G pitches on two disused golf holes at Horsham Golf & Fitness, a stand, dug-outs, clubhouse, associated structures, and car parking. The second application to build 57 homes at the Holbrook Club site was also refused.

The Hornets, nomads for the last seven years since leaving Queens Street in 2008, currently groundshare at Horsham YMCA's Gorings Mead.

Ahead of hosting East Grinstead Town in league action on Wednesday night, Borrett admitted that they were bitterly disappointed by the decision of district councillors to go against the advice of their own planners but said there was no way the club would give up.

Thanking fans, pictured, and those councillors who voted in favour for their support, he also revealed that contingency planning had already been put in place for a possible rejection.

Borrett said: "Firstly, let me thank everyone who turned out to support Horsham Football Club in the planning application, and the countless number of fans who couldn't be present but have been so supportive in other ways including their messages of support.

"Our view was that it was seven years of painstaking work that we have put into this application and we think it is a suitable and sustainable place and merited support from the council.

"I'm not going to hide the fact that all the board members are bitterly disappointed at the outcome of the new ground application decision, for which we had hoped to secure a favourable decision at the first attempt.

"As the two applications were linked it was then inevitable there would be a shortened discussion on our plans for The Holbrook Club as that was not going to be approved in isolation.

"In advance, the board had considered that not getting two applications approved first time around was a distinct possibility and started planning accordingly. Whilst it is too early to confirm our next steps, we will be meeting with our technical and legal advisers in the next few days."

He added: "One tweet I saw come through, whilst still in the chamber after the vote, was 'Hope the board has the resolve to appeal'. Be assured, there is no lack of resolve and there is no intention of consigning the last six years of hard work to the scrapheap."

Image courtesy of www.theargus.co.uk

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