In 2013 we advised on the major application for planning permission for Brentford Football Club's new stadium. A fundamental part of the legal case was the social valuation of the Club's contribution to the community. Ten years since the commission of the first report, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust's latest Social Impact Study reveals a headline valuation of over £143 million for the Club and Trust.
The figure, calculated through the Substance Social Impact and Value report, measures the economic and social contribution that Brentford FC and the Community Sports Trust made to west London during a three-year reporting period from 1 April 2020-31 March 2023. Highlights of the key achievements and successes from the reporting period include an enhanced education and employability offering and the expansion of the Trust’s health and wellbeing provision.
The journey of the Club and Trust's success in delivering social value began in 2013. A team led by planning partner Al Watson advised the Club and the Trust on securing planning permission for Brentford Football Club’s new community stadium at Lionel Road. This was the first new stadium to be built in London for almost a decade.
Our team approached the planning application using the principle of social value. It was the first time that measuring the value of social benefits had been used in a planning context. The Club and Trust with advice from Taylor Wessing commissioned Substance to produce a valuation of community benefits report in support of the planning application. Given that the planning permission was not the subject of legal challenge, this approach was considered lawful as well as ground-breaking and innovative.
At the time, it was estimated that the Trust’s activities in the financial year 2012/13 would have had a minimum value in terms of cost savings to society of £8.48m. The application was approved in 2014 by the London Borough of Hounslow with the expectation that the Club and the Trust would increase activity by 30% within three years of being in the new stadium or by 50% if gates averaged 10,000 or more during the period.
This year the Trust commissioned Substance to produce a new social impact and valuation report. The report revealed the Trust surpassed the original targets outlined by the London Borough of Hounslow in 2013 by 454%, with a social impact value of £70.6m for the year 2022/23.
Commenting on the success of the Club and the Trust in surpassing social value targets, Al Watson, Head of Planning and Environment commented: "Our role in helping to deliver this stadium as well as the opportunities and value that come with it relied upon togetherness, teamwork, and innovation. We are delighted to see all the collaborative hard work from everyone has surpassed the high expectations we had set ourselves. With this fantastic result the legacy of the Club and Trust and Hounslow Council will exceed our generation."
Lee Doyle, Chief Executive of Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, said, “Taylor Wessing’s commitment and support during this 10-year journey has been invaluable when reflecting on where the Club and Trust are today, and the social impact value recorded for 2022/23. I would like to thank Al, Adam and the rest of the Taylor Wessing team for the extraordinary level of support they've provided since 2013. Their advice, flexibility and enthusiasm throughout the project has been instrumental and we are proud to celebrate these achievements with them.”
Cliff Crown, Brentford FC Chairman said, “I am continually impressed by the scope and scale of the Trust’s work and impact across west London. It is important for us to engage with our communities, and we are very proud of our Trust and their achievements in respect of the social impact target and outcomes in this report. I would like to congratulate all the staff at the Trust who have made this possible."
