Sevenoaks District Council grants planning permission for Millwall FC training ground in West Kingsdown
Millwall FC has been granted full planning permission to build a new training ground close to a Kent village.
The Championship football club had plans to erect new facilities in Fawkham Road, West Kingsdown, given the green light in October.
But the final step in the process was approved on Tuesday, February 28, by Sevenoaks District Council.
It means work for the new training academy, on the 50-acre green belt plot near Brands Hatch, can go ahead.
The development is a part of its mission to get the London-club into the Premier League and will include buildings for groundsman and security, indoor and outdoor football pitches, artificial turf and training areas, as well as car and cycle parking and hard and soft landscaping.
New access will also be created to the site near the London Golf Club off the M20.
The move into Kent will see the Lions' first team and academy training operations combine into one central location for the club's office and support staff.
Millwall FC's chief executive Steve Kavanagh previously branded the approval of the plans as "incredibly important" and "very positive news".
He says the club is committed to delivering a "high-end and state-of-the-art training complex", but "much work" is still to be done before it is up and running.
Mitigation to minimise the impact the new training ground will have on the surrounding area, which is located on the green belt land, were also included in the plans.
The development sparked complaints from residents who were concerned about its positioning on the green belt and the added traffic to Fawkham Road.
One person said: "As someone who has no interest in football can Millwall please explain what other benefits it will bring to the community whilst taking our green belt.
"To just drive its players to our neighbourhood then drive them back out. How rude and offensive. When did football become so important that it challenged our green belt laws?"
Others were excited to see the economic and social benefits the project would bring.
"Would be absolutely fantastic in creating employment opportunities as well as positive attention on our beautiful area, " said one resident.
While another added: "We need to look to the future to benefit the future generations with a state of the art facility for all to enjoy."
The Lions currently train at Calmont Road in Bromley – just over 15 miles away – but the club doesn’t own the facility and the lease is set to expire soon.
When built, the West Kingsdown facility will be be an easy journey from the club's main base and stadium at The Den in Bermondsey.
It is 19 miles away, almost entirely along the A20 and, according to the online AA Route Planner, would take 44 minutes to drive.