Leicestershire Parish Councils

Aylestone Playing Fields Planning Application - Revised Plans Omit Bar Area. (4/9/08)

Leicester City Council have given planning consent for Two Clubhouses associated with playing fields, Artificial Sports Pitch, Floodlights, Parking and Fencing at Aylestone Playing Fields. The matter was originally referred to the Secretary of State who has now decided not to 'call in' the application.

Revised Plans have however been received which show that the northern clubhouse has been reduced in size and the proposed bar area omitted.

At Braunstone Town Councils Planning & Environment Committee held on 4th September 2008 it was decided that a letter be sent to Leicester City Council requesting that they re-visit some of the concerns expressed by local residents. Braunstone Town Council is calling for the hours of operation of the floodlights be restricted to before 9pm each evening (with no usage on Sundays). The Council would also like to see protection for the row of mature trees and hedgerows immediately adjacent to the rear boundaries of all the properties in Amy Street.
Further information in connection with Environmental and Bat Surveys has also been requested.

Secretary of State declines to call in the application (17/7/08)

In a letter to the Town Council dated 17th July 2008 the Government Office for the East Midlands confirmed that the Secretary Of State had accepted the changes proposed to the size, layout and orientation of the proposed northern changing room which had enabled to Environment Agency to lift its earlier objection to the proposal. However she does remain concerned about the viability of the project, particularly in promoting an artificial pitch on land which regularly floods. The Secretary of State also accepts that the height of the changing rooms and the proposed floodlighting would exceed the 5 m restriction in the local plan but concludes that these matters are essentially a local decision for Leicester City Council to make. Braunstone Town Council has asked Leicester City Council for a copy of the revised plans.

Braunstone Town Council - Plans & Environment Committee - 5th June 2008

A letter from the Chief Executive Leicestershire County Council was received. Memers noted that the County Council as highway authority had not been consulted by the City Council. In any event the County Council considered that the potential impact of the development on County road would be minimal and there would be no reason to recommend refusal on grounds of highway/traffic/road safety. The Chief Executive was sorry that he was unable to be more helpful on this occasion.

Braunstone Town Council - Plans & Environment Meeting 1st May 2008

A letter dated 3rd April 2008 from the County Council was received. As the site is within the City boundary the County Council had not been consulted on the planning application as either the Planning or the Highways Authority. It was suggested that individual County Councillors who represent neighbouring divisions may wish to comment on the application.

Members of the Plans Committee asked that a reply be forwarded to Leicestershire County Council requesting that they reconsider the matter in view of the proposed developments potential to have a further adverse impact upon the highways in the area.

Braunstone Town Councils Plans & Environment Committee Report - 1st May 2008

As requested at the last meeting letters had been forwarded to Blaby District Council, Leicestershire County Council and the Government Office for the East Midlands asking that they support Braunstone Town Councils request to the Secretary of State that the Application be 'called in'.

BLABY DISTRICT COUNCIL
A report on Blaby's Development Control Meeting held on 24th April was received from Wendy Smith representing RAFFT (Residents Against Flooding and Floodlighting Team). Six members of RAFFT had attended the meeting and were allowed to make representations in connection with the matter. Blaby Councillors voted to support the request that the application be called in.

LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
A letter dated 3rd April 2008 from the County Council had been received. As the site is within the City boundary the County Council had not been consulted on the planning application as either the Planning or the Highways Authority. It was suggested that individual County Councillors who represent neighbouring divisions may wish to comment on the application.

GOVERNMENT OFFICE FOR THE EAST MIDLANDS
The Head of Housing and Planning referred to the Town Council's letter dated 26th March 2008 to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government asking her to call in the Application. Leicester City Council recently referred the application to the Secretary of State. However it appeared from the information supplied to the Government Office that Leicester City Council had failed to consider the proposal against the requirement of the Town & Country Planning (Flooding)(England) Direction 2007* and until this has taken place the Secretary of State is unable to consider the departure referral.
The Head of Housing and Planning stated that the views expressed by Braunstone Town Council would be taken into account by the Secretary of State in any subsequent consideration of the proposal and she undertook to inform the Council of any decision as soon as this has been reached.

* The requirement to consult the Environment Agency has been redefined by the Town and Country Planning (Flooding) (England) Direction 2007, which became effective on 1 January 2007.
The Direction provides that if the Environment Agency objects to an application for major development in a flood risk area then:
The LPA, Environment Agency and applicant should as soon as practicable discuss and agree a course of action to resolve the objection;
If the Environment Agency will not withdraw its objection, but the LPA wishes to grant permission, the Secretary of State must be notified of the proposal;
The Secretary of State will then determine whether to “call in” the application

RESIDENTS AGAINST FLOODING AND FLOODLIGHTING TEAM
A letter dated 25th April 2008 had been received from Jenny Davie which referred to the meeting at Blaby District Council and thanked Braunstone Town Council for it's continued support. RAFFT had delivered written representation to the Government Office for the East Midlands objecting to the scale of the Planning Application

Blaby District Council to Comment on The Application

On 26th March 2008 Braunstone Town Council wrote to Blaby District Council asking that they consider supporting the Town Councils request that the application be called in.

Blaby District Council will receive a report at the next Development Control Committee Meeting on 24th April. In the meantime they have asked the Government Office not to determine the application until Blaby have had an opportunity to pass on its views. (Updated 2/4/08)

Secretary of State asked to CALL IN the Planning Application (26/3/08)

Braunstone Town Council has written to the Secretary of State requesting that the Planning Application be called in. Leicester City Council has decided to grant consent subject to the Secretary of States approval.

The proposed development is for two clubhouses associated with playing fields, artificial sports pitch, floodlights, parking and fencing on the eastern outskirts of Braunstone Town.

The site is located within a defined Green Wedge, a defined Biodiversity Enhancement Site and a defined Site important for Nature Conservation in the City of Leicester Local Plan.

Braunstone Town Council feels that, in its present form, the application would have a significantly detrimental impact on the character of the Green Wedge. In particular, the fencing and floodlights would be detrimental to the visual amenities enjoyed by park users and the occupiers of nearby properties. The 15m floodlight columns would be seen as a prominent and intrusive feature which would fail to integrate into their surroundings.

The Town Council has already expressed its concerns to Leicester City Council and has written to them requesting that the scheme be scaled down.

The Government Office for the East Midlands and the District & County Planning Authorities have also been advised of the Town Councils concerns.

Anyone wishing to support the Town Councils request should write to:-
The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State, Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5DY

Aylestone Playing Fields Planning Application Deferred (Updated 12/3/08)

The planning application has been deferred to possibly the next meeting of Leicester City Councils Planning and Development Control Committee due to be held at 5.30 pm on 18th March 2008.

Over 90 Local Residents at Plans Meeting on 28th Feb 2008

Leicester City Council's planning application for Two Clubhouses associated with playing fields, Artificial Sports Pitch, Floodlights, Parking and Fencing at Aylestone Playing Fields was considered again at the Braunstone Town Councils Plans & Environment Committee Meeting held on 28th February 2008. Planning Officers from Leicester City Council were in attendance to answer questions from over 90 local residents. They raised the following concerns:-

Flooding – the development would result in an increased risk of flooding of nearby residential properties.

Ecology – A copy of the study should be made available, etc.

Noise/light pollution – having significantly detrimental effect on residential amenities enjoyed by occupiers of nearby properties.

Licensed Bar – late night noise and disturbance.

Parking – insufficient car parking resulting in local highway problems.

Archaeological Report – insufficient information.

Trees – existing trees should be protected.

Crime and Disorder – Increased police patrols and management controls, etc should be provided to the site.

In view of the considerable concern demonstrated by objectors/residents at the meeting Braunstone Town Council is making additional representations to the City that the scheme should be scaled down. The Town Council feels that, in its present form, the application would have a significantly detrimental impact on the character of the Green Wedge. In particular, the fencing and floodlights would be detrimental to the visual amenities enjoyed by park users and the occupiers of nearby properties. The 15m floodlight columns would be seen as a prominent and intrusive feature which would fail to integrate into their surroundings.

The Application will now be considered at next Wednesday's(5/3/08) Meeting of Leicester City Councils Development Control Committee.

Planning Application No.20080001

Leicester City Council has made a planning application to provide new changing accommodation in two locations within the existing playing fields. It is intended to locate a new floodlit artificial turf pitch and a floodlit grass pitch adjacent to the main changing room accommodation accessed off Braunstone Lane East. Planning Application No.20080001 will be considered at a future meeting of the City Councils Planning and Development Control Committee. Braunstone Town Council has forwarded the following observations to Leicester City Council:-

1) The pitches and floodlights could have an unsatisfactory relationship with other nearby uses that would be significantly detrimental to the amenities enjoyed by the occupiers of those properties due to consideration of noise, light, hours of use and vehicular activity.

2) Narborough Road South is an Air Quality Management Area

3) Planning Consent should therefore be conditional upon the City Council :

a) Restricting the hours of use of the floodlighting and pitches ( 9a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday – No usage of the facilities to be allowed on Sunday evenings)

b) Producing a Green Travel Plan to encourage visitors to use the Braunstone Lane East entrance. Visitor parking near the Colbert Drive and Kingsway East entrances (off Narborough Road South) must be prohibited. Measures must be agreed with Leicestershire County Council to prevent visitor parking on the Kingsway East Central Reservation

c) Crime prevention measures such as CCTV should be incorporated

d) A wildlife and ecological survey must be completed before the development commences

e) The occupiers of neighbouring properties should be fully consulted in connection with the proposals

IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON PLANNING & ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES PLEASE CONTACT - Executive Officer & Town Clerk - Mr Ian Laughton
Braunstone Town Council, Braunstone Civic Centre, 209 Kingsway, Braunstone Town, Leicester, LE3 2PP.

Telephone: 0116 2899270
Fax: 0116 2824785
Email: ianlaughton@braunstonetowncouncil.org.uk