Agenda item

APP/20/01019 - Hooks Lane Ground Clubhouse, Fraser Road, Havant

Minutes:

Proposal:           Conversion of existing Multi-games play area (MUGA) into a car park, by way of, creating a connection through the existing car park serving the rugby club, and associated footpath and lighting alterations

 

The briefing was held at the request of the Head of Planning.

 

The Working Party received a written report, which identified the following key considerations:

 

(i)           Principle of development;

           

(ii)          Impact upon the character and appearance of the area;

           

(iii)         Impact upon residential amenity;

           

(iv)         Trees; and

 

(v)          Ecology

 

 

The members received a presentation from the officers outlining the report and familiarising the members with the site, the subject of the application.

 

In response to factual questions raised by members of the Working Party, the officers advised:

 

(a)        that tree to be replaced was in a poor condition; the location of the replacement tree would be determined under the provisions of recommended condition 3;

 

 (b)        that the MUGA to be removed was in a poor condition;

 

(c)         that Sports England had raised no objection to the removal of the MUGA;

 

(d)          that when the Council granted permission for the artificial pitch it was recognised that the MUGA would be removed to make way for additional car parking spaces;

 

(e)          that the charging policy of the proposed and existing car park was not a material planning consideration;

 

(f)           that the lighting proposals related to the proposed development and not the wider lighting scheme for the area;

 

(g)          that the Ecologist had concluded that the area had minimal ecological value.

 

(h)         that as the development involved going from hard surfacing to hard surfacing it was considered that there would be little ecological impact. The lighting would not involve floodlights so there would be little impact on bats in the vicinity;

 

(i)           that details of landscaping of the boundary with the school would be determined under recommended condition 3; and

 

(j)           of the range of activities that could be played in a MUGA.

 

 

RESOLVED that, based on the site inspection and information available at the time, the following additional information be provided to the Development Management Committee:

 

a           details of the use of the artificial pitch and its value to the wider community;

 

b            clarification on whether a soft landscaping plan for the boundary with the school was available;

.

c            clarification on whether Environmental Health had concerns about the level of exhaust fumes likely to be generated by the use of the proposed car park;

 

d            clarification on impact on bats

 

e            details on the operating hours and activities of the rugby club;

 

f             clarification on any restrictions on the use of the existing car park;

 

g            clarification on whether it was proposed to restrict the times vehicles could park in the proposed car park and the value of the car park to the wider community, and has there been a study on its use and can this be accessed;

 

g            clarification on how the construction of the car park will be funded; and

 

h            a revised slide showing that only one tree would be removed and replaced under this development.