THE DREAM IS OVER...............following significant discussions with the Environment Agency and the County Highways Authority it was felt by all that the project was not viable. It was with great regret therefore that Heybridge Youth FC (formerly Heybridge Boys FC) terminated discussions with Maldon District Council. Below is an article transcripted from the Evening Gazette and Maldon and Burnham:

WHISTLE BLOWN ON HEYBRIDGE CLUB MOVE

A football club's dream of building a massive new complex is over for now.

Heybridge Boys Football Club has been in talks with Maldon District Council for the past few months as it tried to push on with its plans to move from the site it shares with Heybridge swifts at Scraley Road to a new site at Elms Farm.

However, the plans failed to reach the public consultation stage, which was originally planned for May and was delayed after problems were highlighted by the Environment Agency and Highways Agency.

And the council has now decide it will not enter the venture with the boy's club, having analysed the feedback from the two agencies.

Club Chairman, John Adams, is disappointed that the club will not be able to move forward, although he thanked the council for allowing the club the opportunity to submit its idea.

He said: "We are disappointed as the council approached us in the first placebut we are grateful and will carry on at our previous site so we are not homeless."

"We have given it our best shot and unfortunately it was not meant to be. the council, though, has suggested there may be some other sites in the community which we may look to discuss but these cannot be specified."

During the course of February & March there has been a number of meetings with representatives from Maldon District Council to discuss our plans leading up to a Public Consultation which was scheduled for sometime during April. However as we now have had to submit our plans to both the Environment Agency (flood risk and drainage issues) and the County Highways Authority (access, road signage,etc), we are unlikely to be in position to go to the consultation phase until responses have been received and we have discussed further with MDC. Public Consultation is therefore more probable for May-June.

The plan now envisages a two phase project. With Phase One being a move with existing structures (all portable) as our need for additional playing surfaces is paramount; and Phase Two being the construction of the new club house once funds have been generated.

Once the Public Consultation date is fixed, the Club will need strong support from our membership to push the positive need for the project to be agreed. Please watch the web site & club notice board for further details.

The first hurdle in our bid to relocate to Elm Farm has been completed with the decision of the Community Services Committee of Maldon District Council (19 October 2004) to submit the plans for public consultation.

As many people know Heybridge Boys FC is entering a period of change. Firstly we have made a 'bid' to move to Elm Farm off the Heybridge Bypass - the reproduced article below from the Maldon and Burnham Standard outlines our plans and the reasons why - all we wait for now is the greenlight from Maldon District Council and the project can then move on. Secondly this will be the last year we will be playing as Heybridge Boys FC as from next season we will be dropping or replacing the 'Boys' name with another as yet undecided. This is simply a reflection in the increase in interest in football by girls who, naturally, don't want to play for a 'Boys' club (yeucch!!). The Club Committee has one or two suggestions but the final decision will be by the Members over the coming months.