Swindon Town allowed to keep new scoreboard
The club's new screen has been approved by planning inspectors
Swindon Town FC will not have to remove the new electronic scoreboard it put up at the county ground at the start of the season.
After putting up the board, which can be used both as a scoreboard and advertising screen in the corner of the Stratton Bank End in August, the club made two applications regarding it, in February this year.
One was an application for retrospective permission for the installation, and the other was for permission to show adverts on it.
The club said, in both applications, the screen is only to be used “on match days/events at the County Ground.”
Swindon Borough Council’s planning officer’s report said: ”Although located within the eastern stands, the height of the display does not exceed that of the stadium structure, meaning it is effectively contained within the stadium structure and would not be visible from the nearest residential properties.”
The report also pointed out that the stand obscures the screen from surrounding roads, including Shrivenham Road and the Magic Roundabout.
It is not illegal nor against planning rules to build something or put something up and then apply for retrospective planning permission – and it’s not uncommon.
It does run the risk of refusal. If permission is denied, and an appeal doesn’t work the applicant runs the risk of having to take down what they have built and restore the site to how it was previously.