LAUGHARNE SPORT

Wooford Playing Fields

Laugharne Athletic Club News - December 2023


The Club as formed on 1st October 1951 with the objective of encouraging Amateur Sport in the community of Laugharne, in particular to support the current sports of Rugby and Cricket. The club members are presently made up from Rugby and Cricket committee members and a constitution supporting this is in place.

 

Over the year’s the Club have been trying to secure the long term future of Wooford Playing Fields home to Rugby & Cricket in the Community of Laugharne, without success.

 

The previous owners of Wooford Playing Fields have now sold the land to Sancler 3 Ltd who are owned by locals Mr Philip Bond and Mr Steve Kirkwood. In initial talks with new owners, they have indicated that they would now like to reinstate the Original 106 Agreement Terms into their existing development next to the clubs ground which would then secure the future of Wooford Playing Fields and give the Athletic Club/Community of Laugharne long term security.

 

Plans are being drawn up to submit to Carmarthenshire County Council which will allow the club to develop the sports field, possibly allow the local school to expand with new classrooms and provide land for a footpath between Orchard Park and Broadway.

 

All the local bodies and the Community of Laugharne will be asked to support this project which will allow the Athletic Club to apply for major grant aid to help with this development.

 

 

Club History
 
In 1951, the then Landlord, Mr Herbert Griffiths, rented Woofords Park to the Club at an rent of £20.00.

The Club then had a lease of land at Wooford Field, Laugharne from Mr. J.R. Lewis for a term of 21 years from 29th September 1956 which they used principally for rugby and cricket.

The 1956 lease expired on 21st September 1977 and thereafter the Club continued in occupation on the terms of the lease.

The present owners Paul & Bethan Thomas rent the playing fields to Laugharne Athletic Club. 

June 2020 - Discussions were still ongoing on the Long Term Future of these Fields.

2024 - Sales of land by Sancler 3 Ltd.  

The Local Agreement

The Local Community Agreement dated November 2004 between the Club, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and Laugharne Corporation was signed by all parties and a joint planning application for the development of field OS 7050 for residential development was undertaken. There are other obligations in the agreement and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were to transfer their freehold ownership of the land Wooford Field, to the Club. The Club had an obligation to transfer part of that land to the adjacent to Laugharne School. The Laugharne Corporation would obtain the wood and land would be given by Mr & Mrs Thomas for a footpath to Broadway.

106 Agreeement

There was then a planning permission (W/09082) and a 106 agreement which are dated from September 2008. The 106 Agreement that the County Council implemented expired in September 2013. 

Planning Application 2017

The Clubs believed that this application should have not gone ahead until Mr & Mrs Thomas fulfil their promise to the community and include the benefits detailed in the Local Agreement 2004 and used in the LDP Inquiry. 

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