The club has submitted a new application for lights on Courts 1 and 2 and we would love to have your support to enable this much needed facility to go ahead this time.
The best way to show your support is to submit your comments on the WODC planning portal (reference: 21/00261/FUL) by the deadline of 25 March 2021.
There's a lot of information that the club has submitted on WODC's planning portal but here are a few pointers to give you an idea of what has changed.
We withdrew our application in 2019 to provide information needed by the Biodiversity Officer at West Oxfordshire District (WODC). In 2020 we completed a detailed ecological assessment and then, submitting what is called a 'pre-application' to WODC, we have been working closely with the officers there to ensure the application we have now submitted meets as far as possible their specific technical and ecological points.
The ecological study shows that no ecological designations, habitats of nature conservational interest or that any protected species would be adversely affected by the proposed development. This was agreed in a pre-application with the Biodiversity Officer at WODC and in order to offset any impact on the surrounds the Club is willing to provide ecological benefits by providing suitable bird and bat boxes in various mature trees around the site in addition to a substantial enhancement with further planting to the existing native hedgerow.
The lighting design has been planned in accordance with the policies of the AONB and Conservation area. Three lighting plans were submitted and WODC commented that Option 3 was the most discrete for the position with 9 poles of only six metres in height and that is the advice we have followed. The lights face horizontally downwards onto the courts giving minimal light spill from the sides with 0% upward light spill.
The club has a definite need for lights
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it must be the importance of having sport available for everyone. Mentally and physically, we are stronger with physical activity. Tennis is an inclusive sport, open to everyone. Your tennis club provides that resource – membership has now grown to over 440 players including over 150 juniors and will be opening up to non-members this year. However, we need to provide the opportunity for our juniors, in particular, to play after school during the winter without having to travel to Chipping Norton or Oxford for coaching. In addition lights will enable us to continue our excellent adult summer programme of tennis all year round.
View our supporting documents to better understand the merits of lighting the courts through the dark winter months.
You can read the full application on the WODC website: Planning Ref. No. 21/00261/FUL . It is by nature extensive and detailed.
Other ways your support can make a difference to increase our chances of success are:
- Please share your support through the local Facebook and Next Door groups
- Do contact the local Parish Council via the Clerk , Lisa Wilkinson, [email protected] as the PC will have to formally review the application and respond formally to WODC
- Please contact your local WODC councillor
We do hope to have your support before 25 March 2021.
West Oxfordshire Planning: Contact details
Online: www.westoxon.gov.uk/planning-and-building
Email: [email protected]
Write: Head of Planning, West Oxfordshire District Council, Elmfield, New Yatt Road, Witney OX28 1PB
Telephone: 01993 861000
Quoting: Planning Ref. No. 21/00261/FUL and including your name and address