Wycombe Wanderers has faced objections after submitting a planning application for a major redevelopment of its training ground, despite the development already being built.

The club argues that the new pitches, sauna, and refurbished training centre are necessary for the team to reach its Championship aspirations over the next football season.

The training ground on Marlow Road is on the green belt and Chilterns National Landscape land.

The retrospective proposal includes upgraded pitches, training grids and a goalkeeping area, a resurfaced 80-space car park, an enlarged temporary training centre building, and a new temporary grounds maintenance building.

However, the plans have faced criticism, three objections have been levelled against the plans by members of the public.

But the comments cannot be seen as public planning comments are hidden by Buckinghamshire Council, which is one of only a handful of authorities in the country to restrict access in this way.

The council’s ecology officer has also submitted a holding ecology objection, citing concerns over biodiversity net gain.

In response, consultants acting on behalf of the club said the proposals could meet biodiversity net gain requirements through habitat management and monitoring.

Sport England planning manager Mark Furnish raised no objection to the application, saying it complies with the body’s Playing Fields Policy.

The clubs plans state: “Whilst this is a major full planning application due to the size of the Development, it is important to note that permission is sought on a part-temporary, part-permanent basis.

“Temporary permission is sought for the new buildings on the Site, whereas other works such as the resurfacing of the car park, the landscaping and the drainage works have an element of permanency and therefore have been sought on that basis.

“The temporary nature of the new training centre building aligns with the Club’s lease of the land.

“The Club has six years remaining on the lease and is looking at securing alternative premises within the Borough to further develop the Club’s facilities and academy.”

The football club had been at the Marlow Road site until May 2024 when they moved to Imperial College’s training facilities at Harlington Road.

The proposal stated: “During the course of the 2024-25 season the facilities proved to be unsuitable for the first team’s needs.

“Not only were the training facilities at Harlington too small for the operation of both the first team and the academy, but the Club also experienced difficulty in operating a shared site with Imperial College London.”

It added that the redevelopment, which it has already completed, enables the First Team to develop its performance with an ‘elite-sport training facility to deliver the aspirations of Wycombe Wanderers FC’.