Wasps get go-ahead for new facility

WASPS have received planning permission to build a new training facility.

The planning application for the Warwickshire College Group site in Henley-inArden went before Stratfordon-avon District Council on Wednesday evening and received a unanimous vote from councillors to approve it.

Wasps plan to be in the facility in time for the 2021/22 season. It will bring to an end their stay at Broadstreet RFC, which has been their temporary home since the summer of 2016 following the club’s relocation from London to Coventry and the Ricoh Arena in December 2014.

Wasps confirmed the news with the statement.

“Wasps Group can confirm that planning permission has been granted to build their new training complex in Henley-inArden. The planning application for the 13-acre site on Stratford Road - which was ratified by Stratford District Council on 21 October - will now enable the club to press ahead with plans to relocate from Broadstreet Rugby Club. The consent requires the application to be reviewed by the Secretary of State and for a formal agreement to provide the £50,000 already pledged by the club to be used for local sporting initiatives.”

Wasps CEO Stephen Vaughan, who spoke at the meeting which was confollowing ducted via Zoom, said it was an exciting move for the club which hasn’t had a permanent training ground of its own since leaving its spiritual home of Sudbury in 1999.

He said: “This is a landmark moment for the club. The new training centre will provide an elite environment for our playing staff and next generation of players.

“These are exciting times for everybody connected to Wasps. We have a lot of work to do and are committed to keeping our supporters, along with the wider public, up to date with progress and plans. In the meantime, we look forward to maintaining strong working relationships with our friends at Broadstreet Rugby Club.”