My wife lived in Copers Cope before we married 53 yrs ago. Much quieter then and the area where the academy now sits used to be a bank's sports ground, mostly cricket pitches as I recall.

I have some sympathy with those folk living close by, especially the question of floodlights. Here in the sticks the local village football pitch is a couple of hundred yards away (as the eagle flies) and the lights they installed a few years ago light up the sky of a winter's evening when they train or play. Even the few dozen folk who watch create quite a din too and their erratic car parking causes the usual moaners to grumble.

Hopefully they'll find a mutually acceptable solution to the issues at Copers Cope.

Did it used to belong to Nat West? If so many years ago I got horribly drunk in there and somewhat disgraced myself.

Yes, I'm pretty sure it was Nat West and you're a very naughty boy.

Not sure if it was Nat West at some point but prior to sale was always the old CUACO site for Commercial Union Insurance staff and families and when they got absorbed into Norwich Union early 2000s they were I think the sellers to CPFC?

Happy to be corrected but was definitely CU pitches 80s and 90s if not before.