West Ham United are set to construct a new training building at their Rush Green site after a planning application was approved by Havering Council.

The application was sent by the club on September 27 to erect the new facility on their existing training ground in Rush Green Road, Romford.

Plans for the building were previously approved by the council in June 2018 but the club said it was unable to implement them due to Covid.

A second permission was granted in October 2021 and this approval remained valid, but the club sought to make changes to the approved scheme that required it to file a fresh proposal.

A planning statement attached with the current application said the site was historically a private sports ground owned by Ford United Football Club but was taken over by West Ham in 2009.

Over the years the club has used it for their youth and reserve team training, and it is now their base for the men's first team and under-21s team.

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A planning officer’s report further suggested that the approved training building had been meant for West Ham Ladies, whereas now it will be earmarked for the under-21s team.

The changes in the new building's structure will amount to a minor increase in its footprint and overall height of the development.

The site to be built on green belt, where government policy encourages use only if the development will have a positive role in fulfilling green belt objectives.

But the officer’s report said that since the overall ground is occupied by West Ham, it ensures that the site continues to provide opportunities for outdoor sports in a way that supports these objectives.

The building, the officer noted, will be similar in appearance to other structures around it and will have the club’s branding on it.

He also revealed that neighbouring occupiers were consulted about the application, but no letters of representation were received.

The application was given the go-ahead by the council on November 30 with eight conditions attached.

A full list of these and other planning documents can be found on the council’s website- https://development.havering.gov.uk/OcellaWeb/planningDetails?reference=P1478.23&from=planningSearch