Brentford FC
The client
We helped West London football team Brentford FC secure planning permission for a rapid, sustainability-forward expansion of their training facilities.
Known as “the Bees”, Brentford Football Club was founded in 1899. Over their long and dynamic history, they’ve become a London institution, enjoying periods of top-flight success as well as a long spell in the lower divisions. In 2021, they once again rose to the Premier League, where they’ve stayed ever since.
Brentford FC is a proud part of their West London community, with a strong commitment to sustainability. That’s why their home since 2020, the Gtech Community Stadium, was designed and built to minimise carbon emissions. Among other features, the North Stand interior wall is made from recycled bricks, and measures were taken to reduce the use of concrete and steel at the final design stage. Energy is supplied by photovoltaics installed on the stadium roof. The club also prioritises sustainability in its daily operations, from visitor access to staff transport to catering.
The challenge
Supporting and nurturing upcoming players is key to Brentford’s success. With promotion to the Premier League, the Bees wanted to develop their existing training ground to include a new academy building, a grounds maintenance building and a covered pitch.
The expansion needed to be done in a way that would meet the club’s sustainability standards and those of the planning authority. As the site is located on Metropolitan Open Land/Green Belt, the planning application had to be referred to the Greater London Authority.
In view of the recent promotion, the club wanted to expand its training facilities as quickly as possible. The plan was to use a temporary portable building, recycled from a separate site, as the base for the new academy building. This was a positive approach from a circular economy and whole-life carbon perspective, but it also meant that the building would struggle to meet the energy performance requirements.
The process
Expert input was needed to ensure that the planning permission application was successful in spite of these challenges. The SOL Environment team worked closely with Brentford FC to provide sustainability assessment, energy, whole life carbon and circular economy services throughout the application process.
The outcome
The planning application was successful, and the Robert Rowan Performance Centre opened in 2022. The Centre is named after the club’s former technical director, who died suddenly at the age of 28 in 2018.
As originally planned, the new complex is made up of temporary modular buildings, combining state-of-the-art facilities with a sustainable, low-carbon construction. It was just eight months from starting the build in May 2022 to the opening of the new grounds. The Performance Centre is intended to stay in operation up to 2027, while the club continues to develop and grow its Academy – always with an eye to sustainability and community.
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