Issue - meetings

Application for determination: -

Construction of Community and Recreation Centre, Adventure Playground building with associated external works, new play area, car park and associated vehicular access, and formation of vehicular access at Dickens Close.

The Principal Planning Officer presented the report detailing an application for the Construction of a Community and Recreation Centre, Adventure Playground building with associated external works, new play area, car park and associated vehicular access, and formation of vehicular access at Dickens Close.

Councillor Melvin briefly left the meeting during the Officer’s presentation, and therefore abstained from voting or discussing the item.

A local resident addressed the Committee in opposition to the application.

He objected to the application on the following grounds:

-        The existing play area already attracted a large amount of anti-social behaviour, which the application would add to;

-        The current site attracts a lot of criminal activity;

-        The Police had to deal with large amounts of anti-social behaviour, which was caused by the current use of the site, the granting of the application would add to this;

-        Littering concerns;

-        Vandalism of neighbouring properties;

-        Residents were not aware of the scale of the proposal until he told them;

-        Users of the site currently park on the driveways of the residents in the area;

-        There was loud music played from the site, which created noise pollution for residents.

The Chair of the White City Community Centre addressed the Committee in favour of the application.

He stated that the application should be granted on the following grounds:

-        The application from the start considered the health and wellbeing of the local residents and those who would be using the site;

-        There was a significant demand for indoor sports facilities in the area, that the application would help to provide;

-        It was a replacement for the St Aldates facility;

-        Sport England supported the application;

-        The proposal adopted would put the site far away from local houses, therefore mitigating potential noise pollution;

-        The creation of 40 parking spaces would help to alleviate parking issues in the area;

-        Gloucestershire Highways had no issues with the application;

-        The building proposed would be highly sustainable;

-        There has been a robust consultation with the Community, which had begun in 2015;

-        To prevent anti-social behaviour, security shutters would be installed;

-        The lighting would only operate in the dark when the building was in use.

-        CCTV would be used;

-        The building would be acoustically sealed all year round;

-        It would be complimentary to the Blackbridge scheme.

The Principal Planning Officer responded to members’ questions concerning whether the Police had been consulted as part of the application, whether there was neighbourhood representation on the Committee of the Community Centre, the number and location of properties that had been consulted on the application, the nature of the consultation, whether there were any objections by Gloucestershire Highways, the number of parking spaces, the surfacing materials which would be used in the car park, the type of trees which would be planted, the size of the building, whether there would be a lift on site, whether floodlights would be introduced and whether  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29