Historic football club’s ground revamp

Despite residents’ concerns, players from the country’s oldest football club could be training under lights for longer each week after a $2.7 million sports field upgrade plan was supported by local politicians.

The proposed upgrade of North Shore United AFC’s home ground, Devonport’s Dacre Park, was given land owner consent on February 20.

Plans included the installation of a hybrid turf field with training lights that could operate from Tuesday to Friday from 5pm to 8pm. The surrounding park would be redeveloped to accommodate 43 more parking spaces, and a second entrance to the park would be created at the northern end. Footpaths would be put in to allow pedestrian and bike access from multiple points.

A 2017 council report identified the Devonport, Hauraki and Belmont area would require an additional 27 hours of floodlight capacity to meet the needs of outdoor winter sports over the next 10 years. The proposed changes would allow for an additional 12 hours of lit capacity suitable for the club’s junior and youth teams to train.

North Shore United AFC secretary Steve Browning said the club was pleased the DevonportTakapuna Local Board had supported the redevelopment with land owner consent.

‘‘The club and the sporting community in the wider Devonport-Takapuna area have been fighting for years for council to recognise the lack on quality sporting facilities,’’ Browning said. ‘‘Development is; however, not a given. The project still requires resource consent and we are now in the hands of council planners. We sincerely hope they recognise this as an existing use with minimal effects on surrounding residents.’’

Residents from the 44 properties surrounding the park had raised concerns with the council about noise, traffic and the length of time the floodlights could operate. The residents wanted the lights used three days a week and for the the lights to turned off at 7pm, and for no games to be scheduled at the ground on Sundays.

Auckland Council considered five upgrade options and acknowledged the chosen option increased the impact on surrounding residents while also increasing the amount of time the playing field could be used.

The upgrade would be completed for the 2019 football season.

DAVID JOSEPH / PHOTOTEK A field upgrade and the installation of training lights will change the way North Shore United AFC can operate their football programmes.