Issue - meetings

Construction of three floodlit porous macadam tennis courts and associated access pathways (additional information supplied in support of application including suggested planning conditions).

RECOMMENDATION: Grant permission subject to conditions

The Officer informed the Committee that the subject site consisted of grassed recreational land adjacent to Coolhurst Lawn Tennis Club.  The site lay in the south-eastern corner of St Aloysius College Sport Field.  The site was designated as Significant Local Open Land (SLOL) and is in the Crouch End Conservation Area.

The proposed courts were for sporting use and were considered to be ancillary to SLOL’s current use as a sports field.  The proposal courts were small in scale, occupying approximately 3% of its area.  The proposed would bring hard surfacing , floodlights and fencing to the SLOL.  It was further considered that these would not detract from its open nature and character. 

The courts and floodlighting would expand the existing tennis facilities and accommodate more players, including juniors from local schools, thereby making such facilities available to the wider community.  It was also considered that the light from the proposed floodlight columns would fall to a maximum of 20 metres away from the courts. 

The proposed pathway in Hurst Avenue would not allow access to the courts and is separated by a high fence, with a locked self-closing gate which would not be available for use after 20:00pm.  There would not be any significant traffic that would have a noticeable adverse impact on the adjoining road, or a significant negative impact on public or private transport networks, including highways or traffic conditions.  The applicant had proposed 12 cycle spaces.

A local resident addressed the Committee and objected on the grounds that the report had not taken into account the objections raised.  There was only one local resident in support of the application whose residence backed onto the site.  In relation to the floodlighting it was proposed to operate until 10:00pm.  The objector requested the Committee to limit the hours of operation to 8:30pm as the lighting would be intrusive.

The applicant addressed the Committee and advised that the proposal would provide a proper and fit use for a playing field.  The detailed report had been prepared and looked at by professionals.  The Police had confirmed to the Council that the fence and footpath would increase and not decrease security.  The relationship between Coolhurst and St Aloysuis was shared and it was proposed to jointly develop the tennis courts.  The courts would be made available to other schools in the area.

The Committee questioned whether it was possible to have tree planting along the field site of the Courts and the height of the floodlights.  In response the Committee was advised that tree planting was included in condition 4 and that the height of the floodlights was 10 metres from garden level and the total height would be 14 metres.  Members requested a condition that the nearest tennis court to residential properties would close at 8:30pm during Winter months until the screening was in place.

RESOLVED

That the application be granted subject to conditions and a further condition that the nearest tennis court to residential properties would close at 8:30pm  ...  view the full minutes text for item 292