Two houses and cricket nets at Flixton Cricket Club, Flixton, Manchester

What was proposed

The application sought two houses, additional cricket ball safety nets and an acoustic fence around the club’s existing plant.

“DEPARTURE: No Construction of 2No. new houses, new additional cricket ball safety nets and an acoustic fence around the club's existing plant Flixton Cricket Club, Lawrence Road, Flixton, Manchester, M41 8UU”

Officer report

The site and design

The houses would occupy part of the north-east cricket ground, replacing a cricket net and 12 parking spaces, with two-storey semi-detached homes.

“SITE The application site is comprised of land at Flixton Cricket Club. The wider site is bound to the north by Moorside Road, to the east by Lawrence Road, to the west by Goldsworthy Road and to the south by the rear curtilages of dwellings on Falmouth Avenue. With regard to the wider context, the site lies 2.2km west of Urmston Town Centre and there are a number of services and facilities available 350m further west towards the centre of Flixton.”

“The ball strike mitigation netting varies in height but effectively forms an ‘L’ shape enveloping the rear elevation of the closest proposed dwelling. The height varies in steps – starting at a height of 4m, rising to 11m and, at its tallest, to a height of 14m before stepping back down as it comes around the dwellinghouse. The 2no new dwellings are to be sited in a rectangular area of the existing playing field and carpark, in the north-east corner of the ground.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended refusal because the loss of protected open space and outdoor sports facilities was not justified or replaced, outweighing the proposal’s benefits.

“Officers consider the proposed development would result in an unacceptable loss of an area of Protected Open Space and outdoor sports facilities, and the application has failed to justify this loss and failed to replace the loss with an area of equivalent or better quality playing field. The Council’s Strategic Planning Team and Sport England have also raised objections in this regard.”

“However, it is considered that the adverse impacts of granting permission in terms of the loss of Protected Open Space and outdoor sports facilities would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the NPPF taken as a whole.”

Officer report

The main planning concern

Sport England maintained its objection because neither the quantity nor quality of lost playing-field provision had been adequately replaced, and cricket training capacity would fall.

“Sport England is unable to find any reference that the playing field and ancillary facilities that will be lost to the proposal will be replaced by new replacement playing field. As such the applicant has not met exception E4 of Sport England’s Playing Fields Policy and has not met paragraph 104b of the NPPF. Sport England’s Playing Fields Policy Exception E4 and paragraph 104 of the NPPF are not enabling development policies.”

“18.Regarding Exception 4, it is important to note that Sport England and national policy requires both; an equivalent or better quantity, and; equivalent or better quality. Qualitative improvements to an existing playing field (as are being proposed within this application, through the erection of new replacement cricket nets) do not represent a genuine replacement because only the quality element of the policy exemption has been addressed, and the quantity element has not…”

Officer report

Who spoke

Councillor Thomas made representations in favour after declaring an interest and did not take part in the debate or vote.

The committee vote

A motion to grant planning permission was moved, seconded and carried.

“It was moved and seconded that planning permission be granted.”

“The motion was put to the vote and declared carried.”

Minutes

What the committee decided

Members were minded to grant permission subject to Secretary of State consultation, with any approval delegated alongside a legal agreement and conditions.

“RESOLVED: That Members are minded to grant planning permission subject to consultation with the Secretary of State in accordance with the Direction; in the event that the Direction is not received that the application be referred to the Secretary of State the determination of the application be deferred and delegated to the Head of Planning and Development who will draft and agree the heads of terms for the S106 which would require any profit from the sale of the land be…”

“Reason for approval: That Members give greater weight to the investment that would be reinvested into the club over the loss of the playing fields.”

Minutes