A Horsham farmer’s field could be turned into a football pitch in an urgent bid to save a local football club from closing down.

Southwater Football Club has lodged a planning application with Horsham District Councl to change the use of an agricultural field at Lawson’s Farm in Two Mile Ash Road into a football pitch with a new access, car park and compostable toilets.

The club provides football training and matches for youngsters in Southwater who currently play at Southwater Playing Fields. But the club has been told it cannot renew its licence there from September this year.

Hilton & Wallace, agents for the club, say in a statement to the council: “In anticipation of this, the village club has searched for alternative playing fields in Southwater for many years to no avail – until recently. The club has finally been kindly offered a long-term lease of an agricultural field, for low rent to the community club.

Southwater Football Club are seeking planning permission to turn a farmer's field near the Bax Castle pub into a new sports pitch in a bid to save the club from having to close down

placeholder image — Southwater Football Club are seeking planning permission to turn a farmer's field near the Bax Castle pub into a new sports pitch in a bid to save the club from having to close down

“Southwater Football Club needs to secure this alternative site, otherwise it will have to close, meaning hundreds of local children will be affected and games cancelled from September 2025.

"There is a desperate shortage of sports playing fields in Southwater, exacerbated by the increases in recent new housing development. This proposal is essential to provide the necessary playing fields required by the growing numbers of local children, to whom football is a very important outdoor activity.

“The proposal has been carefully designed to include a low impact change of use of arable to playing fields. The necessary works have all been designed to be reversible and sustainable and to have minimal impact on the surrounding area and nearby neighbouring dwellings.”

The field is near the Bax Castle pub and the proposed new site entrance will be from Marlpost Road, if planning approval is granted.

The agents add: “The utilisation of this site for sports recreation for local children, with minimal impact on the environment, offers long term protection from housing development.”

The new site is located nearby to the main pitch of Southwater Sports Club, to which it is connected via the Downs Link.

Southwater FC currently provides football training for children up to to the age of 18 on weekday evenings in the summer and matches on weekend mornings. At present the club has no access to the existing site on Sundays. Currently FA rules dictate girls only league matches are only held on Sundays. The club now wants to take the opportunity on the proposed new site to also offer pitches for girls matches on Sunday mornings.

Dozens of letters of support for the football club have been submitted to the council. One, typical of many, said: “This proposal would give a huge number of young people the opportunity to continue playing sport. Southwater FC currently provides both my children a fabulous place to play and learn with their friends. It would be a tragedy if they lost this opportunity if their club had to close because they had no training space.”