The council signed off the final planning condition on Merstham FC's 3G pitch on 2 September. The £500,000 build is due to finish in October, with home games at Sevenoaks until then.

Merstham Football Club’s new 3G pitch has cleared its last outstanding planning condition. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council approved the biodiversity net gain details for the Weldon Way ground on Wednesday 2 September 2026, according to the council’s planning register.

The club expects to be playing on it in October. Until then its home fixtures are being played in Kent.

Timeline of the Merstham FC 3G pitch: application validated 5 May 2026, neighbour consultation closed 27 May, permission granted 15 July, biodiversity net gain details submitted 4 August, approved 2 September, expected return in October

What was approved

The application, reference 26/00702/F, was for “the replacement of the existing natural grass football pitch with a 3G football pitch” at Merstham Football and Social Club, Weldon Way, Merstham RH1 3QB.

The register records:

  • validated on 5 May 2026, with the applicant named as Merstham Football Club and the agent as Blakedown Sport and Play
  • a site notice posted 14 May, and neighbour consultation open until 27 May
  • permission granted 15 July 2026, approved with conditions by a principal planning officer under delegated powers, on the determination deadline itself
  • biodiversity net gain details submitted 4 August under reference 26/00702/BNG, amended 10 August, and approved 2 September

The application never went to planning committee. The register logs no neighbour comments against it.

£500,000 and a 30-year lease

The money and the security behind the pitch come from the council. The club’s own 3G pitch page says it has been awarded a £500,000 grant through Reigate & Banstead’s Community Asset Transfer and Support Programme, and has signed a 30-year lease with the council.

The club says that lease is the first to cover both the football ground and the clubhouse under a single long-term agreement. It credits director Mathew Boardman with steering the application, the funding and the planning process.

That grant sits inside a much larger scheme. The council said in June that it had received 42 business cases, was progressing 15 asset transfers and 9 improvement grants, and was awarding £5.7 million in total. Its stated reason is blunt: the aim is for facilities to keep delivering “beyond the life of the Council”. Reigate & Banstead is due to be replaced by the new East Surrey Council.

The same June announcement listed Merstham Football Club’s stadium, pitches and changing rooms among assets the council had advertised its intent to transfer, subject to consultation.

Home games are being played 15 miles away

While the work is done, Merstham are groundsharing with Sevenoaks Town in Kent, about 15 miles east of Merstham in a straight line.

The Isthmian League reported on 27 July that the first fixture there was the Emirates FA Cup tie against Raynes Park Vale on Saturday 8 August, 3pm. Midweek home games at Sevenoaks kick off at 7.30pm rather than the usual 7.45pm. The club said it was looking at coach travel for supporters.

Merstham, founded in 1892 and nicknamed the Moatsiders, play in the Isthmian League South East Division. The league’s own table has them 9th on 5 points from 3 games at the time of writing.

What it means for you

  • If you follow Merstham: home games are at Sevenoaks Town until the pitch is finished, with a 7.30pm midweek kick-off. The club’s stated return date is October, and it words that carefully: “subject to successful project completion”.
  • If you live near Weldon Way: the planning conditions attached on 15 July govern how the site is used. The full decision notice is on the council’s register under 26/00702/F, though the documents tab is restricted to logged-in users.
  • If you want to use the pitch: a 3G surface takes far more hours than grass in winter, which is the practical case for building one. Neither the club nor the council has yet published a community use timetable or hire rates.

Weldon Way is changing on three fronts

The pitch is not the only thing happening on that road. The council’s planning register also shows:

  • 26/00609/F, an extension and redevelopment of Merstham Community Centre on Weldon Way, approved after amendments in May and June 2026
  • 22/02067/F, the demolition of the former Merstham library on Weldon Way and its replacement with 11 homes, allowed on appeal, with conditions being discharged through 2025 and 2026

We will update this page when the club confirms a return date.