Objection to Planning Application – DC/2023/01055
I am writing as a recently elected Formby Parish Councillor who has been asked to comment on Planning Application DC/2023/01055 that refers to Formby Village Sports Club, Rosemary Lane, Formby. The application is for permission to erect one Padel Court on recently acquired piece of land that is situated adjacent to the established Sports Club. This application was discussed in depth at the last Formby Parish Council meeting held in July 2023 and after a lengthy discussion it was agreed unanimously that the Parish Council would submit an objection to this development.
After reading the application thoroughly it appears that there are areas’ of the application that have not been considered or addressed correctly which are of grave concern to the Parish Council. I refer to the piece of land that is adjacent to the application site which has been reported by the applicant as being an area of public open space separated by a post and rail-fence. This piece of land that separates the application site and the retirement flats in Lonsdale Road is the newly created Community Park which the Parish Council recently acquired from Sefton Council on a 100 year lease. The Parish Council along with the Harington Ward (Sefton M.B.C) Councillors have spent between them over eighty thousand pounds (£80,000.00) to bring this park into a much needed open space for the area. The park has been named “The Queen Elizabeth 11 Platinum Jubilee Park” and has been designed in a Bio-Diversity way that will attract wildlife such as Red Squirrels, Hedgehogs and numerous invertebrates that have declined in our area in alarming numbers over the last few years. The trees planted in the park have been specially selected, 70 in all, along with numerous bushes not just for decorative features but for their ecological value in attracting wildlife. As well as this we have set aside six large areas of the park for wild-flowers to flourish all of which have been meticulously picked to attract the wild-life mentioned in this objection. Between the park and the application site we have planted a row of Hawthorn Bushes, which in a year, will create a definitive boundary marker between the two sites and a habitat for wild life. We have laid a meandering path around the park in the shape of a figure eight and placed at various locations ten wooden benches for the local community young and old to enjoy the tranquillity of the park? There are no ball games or children’s play area’s being considered for the park as we feel having them will be detrimental to what we have tried to achieve in our quest for Bio-Diversity. We have also created a small stage near to the main entrance of Formby Little Theatre that runs along the south side of the parks boundary fence near to the public footpath that runs from Rosemary Lane and Lonsdale Road. The intention is to perform outside-plays organised by the Theatre for the local community during the summer months. This idea was fully supported by Sefton Council and is written into the agreement of the 100 year lease we have signed. However, we are dismayed that there is no mention in the applicant’s application of Formby Little Theatre which is right next door to their tennis courts. The Theatre, which is well respected in the area and puts on numerous shows throughout the year for. The outside events planned could well be affected by the noise emanating from the proposed padel court.
The Parish Council is also very concerned about the effect of a padel court will have on the elderly occupiers of the retirement block of flats in Lonsdale Road, called ‘Trinity Lodge’. The building is ‘L’ shaped and is a two and three story element which has 43 Apartments with 70 residents. All the flats on the upper floors that face towards the applicants site have outside ‘Juliet’ balconies or even larger balconies to sit out on. The introduction of a padel court with the noise and light problems associated with it will have a detrimental effect on these residents living conditions. There are only 18 designated car parking spaces for the residents as the majority of them do not drive due to their age. Having this park built so close to their homes has become very much appreciated by all the residents as they regularly use the park on a daily basis.
At the moment tennis is played on two courts that the applicants own which have lighting columns that are well used during the summer months. They are allowed to play tennis till 11.00p.m at night. Permission was given for this late night finish by Sefton Council years before ‘Trinity Lodge’ Apartments were even considered for development. I question this late night finish as I have walked around the park at 10.30pm when tennis is being played and with the area being illuminated I can assure you this is a noise/light problem for the residents living in ‘Trinity Lodge’ that should be addressed by the council as soon as possible. To even consider allowing padel courts to play till 11.00pm which has a much louder noise issue than tennis highlights the thoughtlessness of the applicant’s consideration towards the elderly residents of ‘Trinity Lodge’.
The other dwellings mentioned in the applicants report in Furness Avenue which face onto the ‘Marks & Spencer’ car park consists of about six houses near to the development site will be seriously compromised with the noise from the proposed development. On the opposite side to these houses is a row of shops which front onto Chapel Lane, one of which recently won a judicial review over permitted development rights’ and has now converted the rooms above the shop into flats. They are very near to the Padel Court and have not been contacted or even considered by the applicant.
The last concern that I am writing about is the problem of car parking which the applicant has been careful not to mention in their report about car parking in the Church grounds. Yes, the Sports Club is allowed to park cars in the church car park but quite often they are told that car parking for them is suspended mainly at weekends, when the church wants the car park space back. The reason is the Church/Community Hall often have Craft Fairs and Art Exhibitions throughout the year at weekends. So the Sports Club have to park elsewhere which means Rosemary lane and surrounding roads are affected. In order to enforce the Churches decision for car park space they have entered into an agreement with a firm using CCTV to collect fines by illegally parked cars in the church grounds which has caught out members of the sports club.
Formby Parish Council are objecting to this development as if it is approved will have serious consequence on the Bio-Diversity of the Community Park that we have spent such a lot of money on creating a new park which has been supported by Sefton Council. The end result would be a loss of a Bio-Diversity project due to the excessive noise and lighting that will be generated from this development. We also care very much for our residents who live in the area and we believe will be affected by the constant noise from the padel court just like a child repeatedly kicking a ball against a garage door. This application we feel is inappropriate for a town centre location and so close to retirement flats as well as a community park.
This Development goes against Policy NH1 Natural Assets. Para.1 Sefton Council’s Local Plan.
- Sefton’s natural assets together with its landscape character should continue to contribute to the Borough’s sense of place, local distinctiveness and quality of life. Development proposals and other initiatives should contribute positively towards achieving this.
This Planning Application fails to contribute in any way to the newly developed Community Park with its aim of creating a Bio-Diversity area and local distinctiveness that should improve the quality of life for local people. The concept of a Padel Court is not suited to be near a residential area especially a retirement block of flats which is Detrimental to their Residential Amenity.
Formby Parish Council ask you to consider our objection and refuse this application.
Councillor Dave Irving
Formby Parish Councillor