Planning officers are recommending that Councillors give the go-ahead for a full-size artificial grass football pitch and a permanent parking area on Impington Village College (IVC) land.
They report “significant third-party support for the provision of the proposed 3G pitch” and note “significant objection on matters such as traffic, parking pressure, visual amenity and noise”. But there were no objections from any statutory consultees, and ultimately the planners conclude that the development “…when weighed in the planning balance provides more public benefit than harm.”
Facilities
The South Cambs Planning Committee, due to meet on 9 April, will be asked to approve the creation of the 3G pitch with perimeter fencing, floodlights, hardstanding areas, a storage container, an embankment, an access footpath and a toilet block.
They will also be asked to give retrospective approval for a permanent car park on an area that was previously green space but has been used as an informal car park since the Cavendish School was built.
Traffic mitigation
Local residents have consistently put forward objections to the 3g pitch facility, citing the impact additional traffic to the site would have – especially in light of the recent approval for a major netball facility there.
But planning officers believe that, by creating an area within the car park for taxis to queue off New Road and introducing a Parking Management Plan – “factoring in the recently approved netball application” – will improve current traffic problems on New Road and also offset the impact of additional traffic to the new facilities.
They recommend that the situation is kept under review, monitored by the Local Planning Authority and Highway Authority, and that adjustments are made if the traffic problems persist.
Open all hours
Although IVC has asked for permission to operate floodlights from 8am until 10pm on weekdays and until 6pm at weekends, officers are recommending approval of the new application for longer, until 7pm on Saturdays and 8pm on Sundays and public holidays. They justify this as balancing “illuminating the sports facility for maximum use and benefit to sport with the interest of amenity and sustainability”.
They propose the condition that automatic floodlight controls are installed. These would ensure all artificial lighting turns off automatically at the permitted curfew hours, during daylight hours and when the pitch is not in use.
Other conditions
As well as traffic management and limits to opening hours, planners are asking for details of features including the design of the storage container and toilet block, and lighting of the access path, to be approved as a condition of approving the whole scheme.
They also say details of hard and soft landscape works should be submitted to the planning authority and approved in writing. Then if, in the first five years, any trees and shrubs are removed, uprooted, destroyed, die or become damaged or diseased, replacement trees and shrubs of the same size and species as originally planted would have to replace them.
READ ALSO: Council recommends approval of IVC sports plans but neighbours fear problems ahead and Council to debate plans for IVC sports facilities and Renewed IVC sports applications spark neighbours’ fury and 3g pitch application withdrawn following new objections and Residents concerns drive objections to 3g pitch proposals and Plans progress for artificial grass pitch at IVC
Residents wishing to attend the South Cambridge Planning Committee where the 3g pitch proposal is on the agenda can do so in person or online. See the agenda here . Anyone wishing to speak at the meeting can find further details here .
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