Agenda item

PROPOSAL: Erection of ball stop fencing, car park safety fencing and a storage container.

OFFICER RECOMMENDATION: Permit

16.6          This application was for the erection of ball stop fencing, car park safety fencing and a storage container.

16.7          The Planning Officer advised that the application required determination by the Planning Committee as the site was on land owned by Tewkesbury Borough Council.  It was an existing sports ground/playing field with a pavilion building as a changing facility with access to the north onto Cold Pool Lane.  The site formed part of the Section 106 Agreement for a community sporting facility for public benefit and was used mainly for football and cricket; the applicant promoted grassroots football and had over 30 teams for children and adults of all abilities.  The local Parish Councils were supportive of the application and no other representations had been received.  It was proposed that the storage container would be sited to the rear of the pavilion building and would be used for equipment that could not be accommodated within the existing building.  The container measured six metres in length, 2.44 metres in width and 2.59 metres in height, would be green in colour and screened by planting.  The stop ball fence and netting would be sited on the southern boundary to prevent balls from activities on the site entering and damaging adjacent land and property.  The fence would be 250 metres in length and seven metres in height and would consist of three metres of weldmesh panels with four metres of netting above.

16.8          Members were informed that the proposal complied with saved local plan policy RCN2 in relation to provision of sports facilities.  The National Planning Policy Framework considered that facilities for outdoor sport/recreation were an exception to inappropriate development within the Green Belt provided they preserved its openness and did not conflict with its purposes. The storage container was considered to have limited impact on the openness due to its scale and siting whereas the supporting poles of the stop ball fence and netting on the southern boundary would be more apparent and visible in part above the existing boundary treatment and buildings; this would have an impact on openness and was therefore considered inappropriate development which required very special circumstances to be demonstrated.  The proposed fence would allow the safe use of the site by the football club with minimal impact to the neighbouring properties from balls overshooting the site.  The storage container was required for the safe storage of equipment and machinery for the sports club and the proposal would enable the club to maximise use of the existing facility which benefitted public health and wellbeing.  This justification was considered to be acceptable in terms of comprising the very special circumstances necessary to outweigh the limited visual harm to the openness of the Green Belt.  The design of the storage container was appropriate in terms of its colour, siting, height, scale and mass; the fence was similar to that used on other parts of the site; and the netting would be lightweight and fairly transparent when viewed within the context of the existing buildings and would have less than substantial harm in terms of landscape character.  The proposed netting would protect the adjacent livery yard from the sporting activities on the site and enabled the site to fulfil its function as a sporting venue for the local community.  The wider public benefit was considered to outweigh the minimal impact to the neighbours’ amenity in terms of the openness of the Green Belt and landscape character, therefore, the Officer recommendation was to permit the application.

16.9          The Chair indicated that there were no public speakers for this item.  The Officer recommendation was to permit the application and he sought a motion from the floor.  It was proposed and seconded that the application be permitted in accordance with the Officer recommendation and, upon being put to the vote, it was

RESOLVED          That the application be PERMITTED in accordance with the Officer recommendation.