Stadium development plans approved for one of Wales’ oldest football clubs
Bruce Sinclair, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to redevelop the stadium of one of the oldest football clubs in Wales – which include a new 310-seater stand – have been approved.
In an application recommended for approval at the August 13 meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, the football club sought permission for the redevelopment of its Park Avenue Stadium, its home since 1907.
A supporting statement from agent JMS Planning and Development said the proposal sought “full planning permission for the demolition of the existing main stand and the creation of a new clubhouse, turnstile, changing rooms, business unit and improvements to the existing seated and standing terraces which will include new roof canopies and all associated works”.
1884
It added: “Aberystwyth Town Football Club is proudly one of the oldest football clubs in Wales, whereby the club was founded some 140 years ago in 1884. The club is one of the founding members of what is now known as the ‘Cymru Premier’, of which it is only one of two teams to have never been relegated since its inception in 1992.
“The men’s senior team is loyally supported by local community and has seen an increase in attendance over the past couple of years, reaching nearly 6,000 spectators over the year for the men’s team alone. A number of Cymru Premier matches are broadcast live from the ground each season on S4C and streamed online to a worldwide audience. The Football Association of Wales recently confirmed a new structure and strategy to the league with the aim of boosting its commercial profile, competitiveness, and fan interest both nationally and internationally.
“As a Premier European Division, clubs are provided the opportunity to qualify for UEFA competitions and compete across the Continent, whereby it is imperative that facilities and infrastructure across the country are developed to meet UEFA Licensing requirements.”
It says Aberystwyth Town Football Club “is often called ‘home’ by a number of other teams in the region which rely on the club’s facilities and all-weather pitch for the provision of training sessions and matches”.
The Black and Greens were relegated to the Cymru South for the 2025–26 season. Following Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home against Pontypridd United, their first clean sheet since December 2024, they remain unbeaten having won the opening two games.
First phase
The scheme itself is the first phase of development, the second relating to residential development.
An officer for members at the August meeting said Natural Resources Wales had objected on flooding grounds, with a Flood Consequence Assessment submitted in support of the application “which failed to demonstrate the potential risks and consequences of flooding were manageable,” NRW advising that further information from the applicant regarding flood risk be sought.
Members heard the applicants, primarily due to costs for further modelling, wished the scheme to be judged on its current merits.
The report said that, while the NRW views were acknowledged, planners felt the current scheme could be supported from a flooding perspective, concluding: “The application represents an opportunity to improve facilities at the football ground to enable high level matches to be played in Aberystwyth to the benefit of not only the immediate community but on a county-wide basis also.
“Despite the objection from NRW on flooding grounds it is the opinion that the scheme can be supported.”
The application was unanimously approved by committee members.
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It would be nice to see some improvements that give some decent terracing. That’s probably the thing lacking in Cymru Premier grounds. Plenty of seats to fulfill UEFA wishes but not much for standing spectator that isn’t at ground level.
Caernarfon’s Oval has a good mix though.
Aber crowds were down to less than 300 even before they were relegated from the Cymru Premier, so a 300 seat stand is enough with standing one deep around the pitch.
The reality is that attendances are higher down the local Weatherspoons, watching English football on the TV.
In terms of facilities they are more than adequate for current crowds I agree. However standing at ground level isn’t ideal for viewing the action. A bit of terracing to the left of the stand (shown in the photo) would be good, it’s already a bit above pitch level. This is about making things better and maybe encouraging more fans in. Results on the pitch won’t have helped, but if you live in Aber and want live football, even now you have to go a long way to find a higher standard.. Crowds are booming across Britain and Ireland. People… Read more »
The old stand was probably the most elevated in the league, but the low crowds and the high costs mean any new replacement will be low level.
Money decides everything and in football it goes to England. Remember a local celebrity used to make his way from Pontrhydfendigaid into Aber despite not having a car, only to spend the rest of his Saturdays on a train to Highbury for Arsenal. His son with him is now probably the best known football presenter in Cymraeg.
It’s a lovely old stand, it’ll be a shame to see a modern replacement. Welsh domestic football does get quite a bit of UEFA solidarity money but I do feel far too much goes straight to the clubs that qualify. It’s made TNS very wealthy and that harms the competitiveness League, while other clubs might gamble on the windfall and then get caught out. Ultimately the people of Wales need to get behind their clubs and competitions. It’s not just Aber; I went to the Welsh Cup Final at Bangor a couple of years ago (TNS v Bala) as a… Read more »
Good to see investment happening, and hopefully Aberystwyth will come back up to the Premier next season. Flooding not normally a huge problem at this site, and probably not a show-stopper for football field & stands. Different for residential properties though. That existing residential block has a car park on the ground floor, and any new such development should be the same. Needs a new stand & clubhouse – good on them