Relocation of Sports Club to Green Belt Site – Walsingham Planning wins at Tennis

Walsingham Planning acted for Holcombe Brook Sports Club which is a nationally successful tennis club based on the outskirts of north Bury, Lancashire. Despite having a strong local membership, a very active schools coaching programme and winning numerous awards including national women’s titles in 2001 and 2008, the Club suffers from very poor and inadequate facilities. The Club were therefore fortunate when they were approached by specialist retirement developer, McCarthy & Stone, who wanted to buy their site in Holcombe Brook and relocate the Club to a new site. Unfortunately, the area around Bury and Holcombe Brook is heavily constrained by Green Belt and early applications to relocate were refused planning permission on Green Belt grounds.

Walsingham Planning Director Mark Krassowski, who also advises the Lawn Tennis Association, has worked with the Club since 2006 to devise a planning strategy and address the issues resulting from a Green Belt site. This has included undertaking a thorough review of alternative sites, advising on the scale of development in order to minimise impact on the openness of the Green Belt and developing a very special circumstances case sufficient to outweigh the harm caused to the Green Belt by the proposals.

In March 2011 the Club was successful (at the fourth attempt) in obtaining planning permission for a new facility with 8 tennis courts, including 6 floodlit courts, a clubhouse, car parking, mini-tennis area and practice wall. Careful attention was paid to the design of the clubhouse which has a sweeping green roof, with render and cedar cladding, in order to minimise impact on the surroundings.

The new tennis club facility is expected to open in summer 2012.