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| Hereford chairman Chris Ammonds has sounded the alarm bell over Hereford's future |
In a scathing letter to staff at National Highways - the government body responsible for the A49 through the city - Chris Ammonds said it was no exaggeration that the future of Hereford FC is being put at risk by the ongoing delays.
This, he said, was because the current decades-old lights could fail at any time - which could see the club kicked out of National League North - or the grant funding for the replacements could be lost, leaving the club with bills it cannot pay and folding.
Having initially wanted the new LED floodlights up by the start of the season, that date came and went - and now the club has been forced to cancel installation next week (September 29) because it still hasn't been granted planning permission.
The delay appears to be because National Highways still need information regarding the new floodlights' structural approval - this is after the club and contractors Musco have provided information about glint and glare of the new floodlights and a construction management plan.
As such, National Highways is still concerned about the impact the new floodlights could have on the A49 trunk road.
But Ammonds, also known as Stig, has scorned about the delays in an email uploaded to the planning portal - and says National Highways is now the only reason permission is not being granted.
In a lengthy email to National Highways this month, published on the Herefordshire Council Planning Portal/Pages, he outlined why the club's future is being threatened.
He said the current lights, which have been in place for more than 50 years, "are on their last legs and could potentially fail at any moment".
And despite being "open and transparent with highways since the start of the planning process, explaining the desperate need for the new lights and why they are so important", the structural approval could still be three months away.
Having outlined how the new floodlights were much smaller, similar to others around the country, more energy efficient and spilt less light, he also questioned why more documents were still needed by highways bosses.
He asked: "A huge amount of documentation has already been supplied to highways (I attach more to this email), yet at every turn more and more seems to be required. Much of this is requested as new information and therefore can I politely ask why it wasn’t requested several months ago given how long this process has been going on for?"
Ammonds said that 70 per cent of the cost of the new floodlights was being covered by grant funding but "the longer the project is delayed, the more chance there is of losing the funding".
In stark terms, he said: "Should the funding be lost, Hereford FC could not cover the costs and the club is likely to be left with a bill it cannot pay (and will therefore fold)."
Further warnings came later in the email: "I am a volunteer myself and I am repeatedly getting asked by fans and shareholders – and the local media – why the floodlight installation is taking so long.
"As I fully respect the work highways do, I have not spoken publicly about the reasons for the delays so far. However, supporters are now becoming aware that Highways are the only reason for the delays, and of the danger this is causing to the club’s future.
"Without new lights to replace the old ones if/when they fail (which feels like only a matter of time), Hereford FC could be thrown out of the National League North which would basically mean the end of the club."
He then reiterated the warning: "I repeat, and this is no exaggeration, the future of Hereford FC is being put at risk by these ongoing delays, so I would make a direct, desperate plea for support and help so our new floodlights can be installed as a matter of urgency so we can look to move forward as a club without this threat to our future hanging over us."
Also in the email, Ammonds said contractor Musco, which has worked across the UK and abroad installing floodlights including at Tottenham Hotspur's new ground, it has "never encountered the difficulties they have experienced trying to install new lights at Edgar Street".
He has also invited National Highways to an open meeting with fans.
A response from National Highways has not yet been uploaded to Herefordshire Council's planning portal.