Planning and Highways 1 July 2010, List No 4
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Manchester City Council List No. 4 Planning and Highways 1 July 2010 Application Number Date of Appln Committee Date Ward 093164/FO/2010/S1 17th May 2010 1st Jul 2010 Chorlton Ward Proposal Installation of 6 x 15 metre high floodlighting columns, the lighting only to be used between 3pm and 5pm on Saturdays and between 7pm and 10pm on no more than 12 additional weekday evenings between August and May in each football season. Location West Didsbury And Chorlton AFC Ground, Brookburn Road, Chorlton Applicant The Secretary , West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC, C/o 36 Clarendon Road West, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 0RW Agent Description This application relates to the West Didsbury and Chorlton Football Club Ground on Brookburn Road. The site is broadly rectangular and contains a single grass pitch and a single storey clubhouse. There are a number of trees around the perimeter which are protected by virtue of being in the Chorltonville Conservation Area and two Oak trees at the western end of the site which are subject to a Tree Preservation Order. Access for both pedestrians and vehicles is from the public footpath linking Brookburn Road, a cul-de-sac at this point, to Jacksons Bridge. There is car parking within the site for approximately 50 cars, although this is not formally laid out. To the north east and south east of the site are the rear gardens of houses on Meadow Bank. Meadow Bank is at a higher level that the football ground and the properties on it have exposed basements giving the impression of the houses being three storey. The rear gardens of these houses slope down to the football ground. To the south west and north west is the Mersey Valley. The south western boundary of the site which adjoins Hardy Farm is formed by a concrete post and panel fence and along the north western boundary is a paladin fence. The site is located within the Chorltonville Conservation Area, the Green Belt and the Mersey Valley, although the site is in private ownership and there is no public access to it. The application itself, seeks approval for the erection of six 15 metre high galvanised steel floodlighting columns, three along each of the long sides of the pitch. The four corner columns would each have double heads and the two located adjacent to the centre line, triple heads. The applicants would wish to use the floodlights between 3.00pm to 5.00pm Saturdays and 7.00pm to 10.00pm for one evening, midweek on not more than 12 occasions in any one football season. The floodlights would be fitted with overspill limiting back shields. At their closest the distance to the nearest house from the proposed lighting columns would be 24 metres. The applicants have advised that the floodlighting is required to comply with the Page 1 of 32 Manchester City Council List No. 4 Planning and Highways 1 July 2010 regulations for membership of the North West Counties Football League (Vodkat League), to which the club have applied for membership. The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) (England) Regulations, as Amended, sets down the criteria to be considered in determining whether an Environmental Impact Assessment is required. In this instance the development has been assessed and it has been concluded that it does not meet the criteria set down in schedule 2 of the regulations and therefore an Environmental Impact Assessment is not required. Consultations Local Residents - Some 154 notification letters were sent out to residents in the Chorltonville Conservation Area and properties overlooking the site. At the time of writing there have been some 314 letters objecting to the proposed development and 53 letters of support. In response to concerns that some information was omitted from the on-line copy of the application, residents have been re-notified. The end date for the re-notification is after the date of the Committee meeting and this is reflected in the recommendation. The grounds for objection can be summarised as follows:- -Floodlighting is not necessary for a community football club and further commercialisation of the club and industrialisation of the site is inappropriate for the neighbourhood. The expansion will set a precedent for further expansion in the future. -The site is highly visible from the conservation area and the Mersey Valley and the proposal would have a detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the Green Belt contrary to Green Belt Policy PPG2 -The floodlights will conflict with policy DC18 of the Unitary Development Plan in terms of their visual impact on the Chorltonville conservation area. -The floodlights will change the character of the area both visually and by resulting in a more intensive use of the site. -This is an inappropriate location for the club to expand in. -The proposal will adversely impact on the bio-diversity of the Mersey Valley, particularly bats, and a bat survey is requested. -Recently the Planning and Highways Committee deemed that development on the adjoining Chorlton Meadows was totally inappropriate and residents feel that for the same reasons this development is also inappropriate. -It is not just residents adjoining the site who are concerned but the wider community. Page 2 of 32 Manchester City Council List No. 4 Planning and Highways 1 July 2010 -There is no trust that the applicant would adhere to any conditions should permission be granted. -In view of the previous application and the response of residents it is requested that the application is dealt with by committee. -The floodlights will result in the more intensive use of the site with up to 1000 spectators leading to increased noise and litter both on the site and within the immediate area. -The activity on the site would carry on much later in the evening causing a loss of amenity and preventing people and children who go to bed early from sleeping. -The existing building already spoils the area and adding floodlights will spoil it further. -The proposed development will result in significantly more traffic coming to the area, trying to access the site via the narrow path. This will result in increased parking on the streets in the immediate area and a corresponding decrease in highway safety. It is also likely that cars will park on the grass verges destroying what is a distinctive part of the character of the conservation area. Brookburn Road is a private highway the upkeep of which is paid for by a private levy. There has been a significant increase in traffic since the completion of the extension to the nearby Brookburn Road Primary School. This is the only area where it is comparatively safe for children to play in the street -The intensification of use of the sports ground is contrary to the ethos behind the Chorltonville Garden Village Estate and may well be in breach of covenants. The original sale brochure for the development referred to the social wellbeing of residents and the quality of the sports provision within the estate, including tennis courts and the finest bowling green in the area. -The proposed floodlights are within 30 metres of some properties. -The club has outgrown this site and should move to a more suitable location, and several writers suggest alternative locations. -There is no mention of the electricity supply for the floodlights. The existing supply may well have to be improved. -It is considered that the proposal conflicts with policies E1.4, E2.4, E2.1, E2.3, CB3, CB15, CB16, CB17, CB20, CB23, CB25, CB26, CB31, CB37, CB40, CB44 as well as PPS2 -The ground is already an eyesore with graffiti on the boundary fences. This will exacerbate the problems and make the site even more unsightly. -Concern that a letter detailing usage was not available until late in the process. Page 3 of 32 Manchester City Council List No. 4 Planning and Highways 1 July 2010 -Views from properties will be seriously marred by the brightness of the floodlighting. The development will give rise to ‘Sky Glow’, a halo of light scattered in all directions. This scattered light travels very large distances. In addition no consideration appears to have been given to the lie of the land in determining the impact of the lighting. -Reference is made to the Temple Report to DEFRA which sets down a checklist of points to be considered and which are not addressed by the applicant. It also recommends that Council’s assessments of such proposal should include, overall character and appearance of an area, residential amenity, disruption to local ecology, effects of high powered sports lighting on housing, restriction of hours of use and lowering the columns when not in use in sensitive area. -Immediately to the south of the site is a Site of Biological Importance -There are frequently references to the similarity of this proposal to the one earlier this year which was unanimously rejected by the committee. -Reference is made to their being 600 different species of moths on Mersey Meadows. -No flood risk assessment has been submitted with the application. -There has been insufficient time for residents to respond -Reference is made to several games in the Vodkat League where attendances have numbers in the several thousand. -Players regularly trespass in surrounding gardens causing damage to fencing to retrieve lost balls. -residents are willing, if the club will sell the land, to offer financial support in order that it can be kept as a wild area. The letters supporting the proposal can be summarised as follows:- -The floodlights would be a massive asset to the club as it strives to improve and are required if the club is to move to the next level.