Minutes:
NOTED
1. the receipt of three further letters of objection raising the following issues
? area designated to remain as green fields;
? the Council have promised to protect areas of special character and Green Belt;
? the proposal is a departure from the Unitary Development Plan (UDP);
? the building does not meet the requirements of essential facilities as changing rooms already exist;
? it will generate noise harmful to residential amenity;
? existing floodlights have not been used for many years;
? there should be no removal of trees or hard surfacing;
? high fences are unacceptable in the conservation area;
? inadequate parking;
? dangerous Turkey Street/Bulls Cross junction;
2. an amendment to the recommendation to include additional conditions regarding the floodlights and changing rooms;
3. the deputation of Mr John Cherry, on behalf of local residents in the Bulls Cross and Turkey Street area, including the following points
? a statement on behalf of Jenny Holmes of the Forty Hill and Bulls Cross Study Group, drawing attention to objections previously circulated to Committee members;
? concerns that Planning Committee were being asked to extend the already approved facilities before the existing facilities on the site had been tested;
? residents were concerned that 200+ people may be permitted to use the site at any one time and 100+ vehicles may be arriving or leaving at the same time in an area which experienced regular gridlock and that emergency services would be unable to reach the site easily;
? the proposal did not amount to essential facilities, as such facilities were already present;
? concerns regarding noise and floodlight diffusion in a conservation area of special character;
? the proposals would not contribute to the preservation or enhancement of the area;
? the planning officer’s recommendation was flawed and made no reference to a risk assessment or advice of the conservation officer
4. Councillor Tony Dey, Chase Ward Councillor, spoke on behalf of local residents opposed to the application, including the following points
? he supported the comments of Mr Cherry and the study group;
? the recent Paul Drury Partnership appraisal report was highly significant and should have been referred to;
? the proposals were contrary to policies (II)GD2, (II)GD6, (I)GD1 and (I)GD2 of the Unitary Development Plan;
? granting the application would lead to desecration of an area of Green Belt and special character;
5. Councillor Annette Dreblow, Chase Ward Councillor, also spoke on behalf of local residents, including the following points
? the development would be contrary to UDP policies and the Green Belt policy outlined in PPG2 as there were no special circumstances in this case;
? she had been disappointed that not all the Committee members had attended the site visit;
? the height of the proposed shelters would detrimentally affect local residents’ visual amenity and the sense of openness;
? the majority of the trees were deciduous and residents would be exposed to sight and noise of the users of the pitches;
? the proposals would lead to a major traffic impact on a road and area too small to cope;
? existing floodlights had not been used for many years and it should be investigated whether they ever received planning permission;
? the high perimeter fencing would close off the area to wildlife;
6. The response of Mr Tony Antoniou, Chairman of Omonia Youth Football Club, the applicant, including the following points
? the club understood the concerns of residents and were willing to listen and address those concerns;
? the site had been chosen because it was an existing sports field that was unused and their objective was to improve the sports ground for the benefit of local children;
? the sports ground was there and was meant to be used;
? the club wanted to encourage children to play sport;
? the multi use games area could only be used by 14 or 15 children at any one time and would not lead to traffic mayhem;
? a secure perimeter was needed to ensure the safety of children;
? he was sure that the residents’ worries would not be realised;
7. advice from officers in respect of traffic generation and highways issues; and
8. advice from officers in regard to the planning history of the site relating to the change of use of the existing pavilion building, the amendments secured and the acceptability of the scheme in terms of Green Belt policy as expressed in PPG2.
RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report and the additional conditions below, for the reasons set out in the report.
Additional Conditions:
1. That the floodlights hereby approved shall only be used until 21.00 hours each day unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
2. Before the floodlights hereby approved are brought into use the existing floodlights and columns shall be removed from the site.
3. The changing rooms hereby approved shall only be used for the purposes detailed on approved Drawing No. 5328/02B and no internal layout alterations to the building shall be carried out unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
Reason for conditions: In the interests of safeguarding the amenity of the occupiers of nearby residential properties and the amenity of the Green Belt.