A POWYS football club saved from possibly folding after they began their season without a pitch to play on are awaiting a decision on planning at their new home.

Radnor Valley played all six opening league and cup games of the 2021/22 campaign on the road while they awaited work to be completed on their new pitch – built on land owned by local farmer Lee Phillips and his family.

The Bypass, as it has become known colloquially due to its proximity to the A44 Radnor bypass near the village of New Radnor, hosted its first game on August 21 – giving the club nicknamed the Goats a new pasture to graze.

Radnor have now submitted a retrospective planning application to Powys County Council. This includes a change of use of land to playing field, siting of temporary structures and engineering works to improve existing access to the pitch.

In the plans, a statement on behalf of applicant Mr Phillips states: “All elements of the proposal are 100 per cent removeable – including a removable supporter balustrade and moveable dugouts.”

Plans also include a temporary portacabin on skids used for dry storage and a meeting space, two portaloos and 42 parking spaces; the club says the average vehicle attendance per game is 25-30.

“The club was previously playing on another field on the outskirts of New Radnor, but a change of circumstance means the previous land is no longer available,” continued the statement on behalf of Mr Phillips, of Highgate Farm.

“The team had been using changing room and shower facilities in the local primary school, a 0.5 mile drive away, which continues to be the case. All of the works which has already been completed are 100 per cent removable. The works which have not been completed are the access improvements.”

The application was validated on Friday, December 3, with the local authority’s highways department scrutinising it on December 20.

Highways has told the club the existing agricultural field gate access to the pitch must be improved to provide 215 metres of visibility in both directions and be set 2.4 metres back from the highway edge.

It’s been a fine first half of the season for Radnor, who sit seventh in the MMP Mid Wales League East. They have lost just once in 10 games and sit on 23 points, having played less games than all of the six teams above them. This includes five and six games in hand on joint leaders Abermule and Waterloo Rovers respectively, who are only nine points in front on 32. Builth Wells and Brecon Corries – third and fourth on 29 points – have both played two more games.

Their only other defeat in 22 games this season came in the FAW Amateur Trophy, while they are still in the Emrys Morgan Cup, Central Wales Challenge Cup and MMP Mid Wales League Cup.

Prior to this period, it had not been a time to kid around for the Goats, who were forced from their previous School Lane home after many years.

With nowhere to go, it seemed the pandemic might well claim another Mid Wales victim, with Newbridge folding last summer, while fellow Radnorshire neighbours Knighton Town announced in early December that they were withdrawing from the Mid Wales League East due to dwindling numbers.