EMMBROOK SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB – DEVELOPMENT OF SPORTS GROUND
Following the public meeting in February the Club eventually submitted an amendment to their application which removed the erection of a 1.85m high close boarded fence on the Lowther Road boundary. This amended application was considered at the Planning Committee Meeting on the 20th July. The planning officer recommended approval of the application with a set of conditions which were aimed at reducing the impact of the proposal on residents and the area in general, such as limiting the use of the flood lights. The Committee approved the application as recommended by four votes to one, so we will have to wait to see just how effective these conditions will be. Anyone interested in seeing the conditions can do so via WBC’s “Search Planning Applications” web page by entering Application Number 153382, clicking on “See the plans and documents”, scrolling down to the “Decision Notice” and opening file 153382dn.pdf.
EMMBROOK SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB – LICENSING APPLICATION
We reported that the Sports and Social Club had applied for a licence to extend their club house activities, but that due to errors and omissions in the application it had been rejected by Licensing Services at Wokingham Borough Council.
The club then submitted a revised application which was accepted by Licensing Services, and you can view the complete document by clicking here. ERA made a formal submission in respect of this application. To see our letter to the Council, please click here.
The application was heard by a sub-committee composed of three members of the full licencing committee on 19th July. The general public were allowed to speak at the hearing by prior arrangement, as was the applicant. A resident spoke against the application on behalf of a group of residents who live adjacent to the Club’s grounds, as did a representative of the ERA. The ERA made a case for the imposition of additional conditions that, if the sub-committee was minded to approve the application, would stop the Club holding the types of activities that would be most likely to cause disturbance to residents. After hearing all from all parties present the sub-committee went into a closed session in order to make their decision. Unsurprisingly, they allowed the application with no additional conditions, although the Club did make one concession in that they withdrew the application to carry out the licensable activities (i.e. the playing of music, dancing, etc) out of doors.