Does anyone know about planning issues?

[bookwormsforever]

We live next to a park and tennis courts. Tennis courts have applied for planing permission for a junior court and they want it right outside the boundary of our garden. With a rebound/service wall. It will be one metre away from our boundary hedge. They plan to have lessons after school every day and at weekends. There's already enough noise from the courts but fair enough, we knew that when we moved here.

I have formally objected to the council, but what happens next, and what happens if my objections aren't strong enough to stop the plans going ahead?

My ndn knows someone on the council who says the plans have gone through several committess and will be passed.

I'm very concerned about loss of amenity, privacy, excess noise and disturbance - we won't be able to enjoy our garden in peace and quiet any more.

What can I do, legally?

I asked if I'd be contacted again and the person at the council planning dept said no, people who object to plans aren't contacted, and all that will happen is the plans will be updated on the council website, which wasn't v helpful.

Does anyone have experience in this area? if so, thanks so much!

Ring the Council planning department.
Ask them if the application is going to planning committee- not all of them do, some are decided by officers.
If it is going to planning committee, ( and this hasn't already happened), this is public, and you can attend. You can speak, to make your points in person, you need to have told the planners in advance that you want to speak. Strictly time limited. Facts are your friends here- eg, what increase in hours would this be? Why would it be so different from what happens now?

You could also email/ phone your local councillor ( details on Council website).

Do other neighbours have concerns? Get them to write in,/ come with you.

If it's already been decided, then, unless the council has failed to follow its own procedures, there isn't anything you can do.

Neighbour objections are taken into account, but unlikely to have a huge effect unless you can quote planning reasons why the application should not be allowed.

Thanks, Dancing! Will ring them tomorrow.

In the letter they said, they said legitimate objections were noise, amenity, disruption, loss of privacy. What's the point of them asking about these things if they're not going to take them into account?

They will take those objections into account, and in fact that's an unusually objections inviting letter.

But on the one hand they have the application, and on the other the objections, and they have to weigh them up.If objections were always going to win,almost no planning application would ever succeed.
Best of luck

Thanks again - and you said

unless you can quote planning reasons why the application should not be allowed

What would these be?

Well, normally you'd have to quote a planning policy(of that council), that the application would contravene. Eg,( not for your plan) disproportionate intrusion into open countryside, inappropriate design in a conservation area, over development leading to Highways issues).

But, unusually, the council have told you what are the relevant issues.Noise, disruption, loss of amenity, loss of privacy. So just expand on these. Eg, noise , from balls and voices, from X hour to y hour, so X increase on current noise. Plus bouncing off the wall, (have I got that right ?) Plus it would be X metres closer to your house than at present. How this would affect you -
Would windows have to be kept shut? DC bedtimes affected? Your quiet enjoyment of your own garden in summer affected?
Expand, but don't exaggerate.

Would they be able to see into your garden? Your house?
Would there be increased vehicular traffic? Parking issues?

The report by the planning officers, which will be put before the committee, is a public document.As is every bit of info submitted by the applicant. You can visit the council offices, and ask to see the file.( Need to pre warn them you're coming) Can be useful if there's any inaccuracies to be corrected.

There is of course the possibility that you spend a lot of time and energy, and planning still decide that, on balance, there's greater public good in passing the plan. But at least you'll know you did everything you could to put your point of view.

Aha, that's really very helpful to know what they're looking for. Will compile a list. Thank you!

I'm a councillor and sit on a planning committee. Generally speaking the advice above is broadly correct but the process for speaking at committee will vary from area to area. What you need to do is ring the councillor for your area and ask advice. Not all applications go to committee (if they did, we would be swamped). Where I am, I look at each application in my patch and if I think necessary, I can call it in for committee decision based on whether I think it should be passed or rejected or if there is public interest. If I don't call it in the decision will be made by the council planning officer dealing with the application. In any case the decision must be based on planning law only.

Thanks - how do I find out who my councillor is? Ring the town hall?

Think I will find a solicitor dealing in planning and get legal advice. This could have a serious impact on our lives.

Living next to a tennis club that was there before you moved in that is planning changes that will involve slightly more tennis ball noise.

I can't help feeling you will be tagged NIMBY. You admit there is currently noise, as anyone would expect, then say you will object on grounds of quiet enjoyment. Doesn't stack up.

Put your time and effort into making your space as sound resistant as you can or utilise other parts of the garden.

Well, I might be tagged NIMBY but tough. These proposed changes WILL have a negative impact on our lives. Nobody else will be affected as badly.

Garden is already as sound resistant as poss - thick hedge/trees - but why should we have to do that?? We have no other parts of garden to utilise. It runs alongside the tennis courts.

Have attached pic of tennis court floodlights from dc's bedroom. This new court will be much closer.