Statement on the latest planning step for our new stadium and residential development

The club would like to provide an update on the status of our new stadium as another formal process gets underway and we approach a few critical deadlines.

If you commented on the original planning application for our new stadium and accompanying residential development you will have received an email from Southwark Council to let you know a consultation period has commenced on an application to remove the restrictions on our current stadium site.

Firstly let’s address the two questions we were immediately asked once the email hit inboxes. Yes, this is a positive step forward for the club and Yes, we should support it. There has been some confusion over what this latest step means and why it is needed so I’d like to take this opportunity to provide an explanation.

Our current Champion Hill stadium site is protected for us and for sports and those protections are defined in agreements from 1990 and 2003. The new site which overlaps with the current site will be similarly protected under a new agreement, this is the Council’s way of always ensuring that there is a home for Dulwich Hamlet FC and for sporting provision at Champion Hill. However, to allow development and construction on the new stadium to take place the protections on the current site need to be removed during the build period and that is what this application stage seeks to make happen.

To address your questions about why if this is a simple step in the process we need a public consultation I would like to express again our thanks to the officers at Southwark Council for their diligence. Throughout this process those that oppose the application that will secure the future of the club have sought to misinform, block, delay and challenge at every step ignoring the overwhelming community support, independent approvals and even the recent dismissal by a Judge of their latest claims. So, whilst it takes more time, it is important that a correct and comprehensive process is followed at every step to reduce the risk posed by those individuals.

To those of you who received the email from the council and have asked if you need to comment on the planning portal our answer is always the same, if you would like to show your support then please feel free to register a comment with a stance in ‘Support’ of the application and add whatever personal comment you would like to make about progressing the build of the new stadium and we thank you in advance.

This is a critical month for the club. If we can get through these final few steps the work can begin on delivering not only the long-term home for Dulwich Hamlet Football Club but also the huge increase in sporting provision for the local community and help us deliver local clean up and regeneration efforts.

We will provide another update as things progress with both the consultation period and our parallel process to work with the current and prospective owners of the site to manage the period of transition from the current stadium to the new stadium.

Thank you for your questions, your support and your interest in our club and our community.

On behalf of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club,

Ben Clasper
Chairman