Agenda item

This application was for the erection of a sports pavilion with 1no. artificial and 1no. grass pitches, creation of a new access including vehicle and cycle parking with landscaping and associated works on land opposite, Blackbird Close, Overdale, Telford, Shropshire.

The application was before Committee as the proposal involved the Council as applicant and landowner and comprised a development over 5 hectares.

A site visit took place on the afternoon prior to the Planning Committee meeting.

Councillor M Boylan, Ward Councillor, spoke in favour of the application but raised concerns in relation to the environmental impact and losing another wild area.  Further information was requested on the management plan/ ownership/community use and how it would be allocated.  Consideration needed to be given to the impact, times of usage, noise, lighting and the impact of the local residents close to the site.  There would be increased traffic on the infrastructure with the development of the Lidl site and on Waterloo Road with the development of the Shropshire Star site.  It was requested that community engagement took place in relation to the concerns and they be taken on board in order to ensure a successful application.

The Planning Officer informed Members that this application was located in the urban boundary and had been long established to deliver sports pitches in line with the Lawley S106 sustainable urban development extension.  Planning consent was granted in 2014 for earthworks to facilitate the future provision of sports pitches and the need for these facilities was highlighted in the Playing Pitch Strategy 2016 and the Football Association’s long term strategy that every affiliated team were able to train once a week on a floodlit 3G pitch.  Noise, light, pollution, overshadowing and overlooking had been addressed within the report.  The noise and lighting assessments had been reviewed and were acceptable subject to conditions.  Evening matches were being limited to 24 matches per year after 8pm together with controls of the light installation and the hours of use of the facility.

The topography of the site was set down from residential development to the south and was buffered to the east and west by proposed car parking and Waterloo Road.  Additional planting would take place on the southern boundary comprising of 18 new trees.  Management of the site was not currently known but this would be conditioned and a pre-commencement condition for a Community Use Agreement to be in place and that they would need to reach out to community groups and offer the use of the facility to the community. 

No technical objections were received from statutory consultees and the local highway authority had no objections.  Offsite works would be conditioned, secured by a S278 Agreement.

During the debate, some Members felt that there should be more of these developments throughout the country.  Noise issues had been dealt with but they raised concerns in relation to the traffic along Roslyn Road and it was requested that some form of traffic calming be installed in order to help control the speed and additional traffic from the development.  Other Members fully supported the officer recommendations as long as the conditions were imposed and the concerns of the residents were noted.  Concerns were raised regarding the main vehicular route being via The Rock and it was asked that vehicles be routed north, along Waterloo Road.  It was also asked that mitigation measures in relation to the bar in the club house be taken into consideration in relation to the alcohol and function licence moving forward.

Upon being put to the vote it was, unanimously:

RESOLVED – that delegated authority be granted to the Development Management Service Delivery Manager to grant planning permission (with the authority to finalise any matter including Condition(s), Legal Agreement Terms, or any later variations) subject to the following:

a)    the Applicant/landowners providing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Agreement relating to:

i)             Travel Plan to the value of £5,000;

ii)            Section.106 Monitoring fees to the value of £250; and

b)   the conditions and informatives set out in the report (with authority to finalise conditions and reasons for approval to be delegated to Development Management Service Delivery Manager).