Albion set to begin work on training ground site

Albion executive director Martin Perry and CEO Paul Barber met with representatives from Adur District Council and New Monks Farm at the Amex to sign all the necessary paperwork to give the club possession of the site.

Building work is expected to begin in the next few weeks, with the aim to have the facility fully functional for the start of pre-season in 2014.

Perry said: “This is a really significant day for the football club. It means that we can now get onto site as quickly as we can and start building our training ground.

“This is the final piece of the jigsaw as far as the club’s infrastructure is concerned. To be ready for the Premier League, we need to have this facility.

“The new training ground will help us to develop the club, develop the players and to support Gus Poyet in everything that he’s trying to achieve.”

Albion’s plans for the training ground got the go-ahead in October when Adur District Council’s planning committee took less than two hours to unanimously back the plans.

Neil Parkin, leader of Adur District Council, said: “This is the largest inward investment in Lancing’s history, and very important for the people of Lancing and Adur. The value of this deal to the community is £1.75m, with £400k going to Adur District Council and the rest as part of the Section 106 contributions.”

Full story in the week’s paper.