Agenda item

            That planning permission for a temporary period of two years be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning and subject to the following additional conditions:-

·         Supports/materials to be agreed

·         Net to be maintained in the interest of appearance/effectiveness. 

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Planning in respect of this application which had been the subject of a site visit on 8 October 2012.  The usual consultations had been undertaken and the responses received detailed in the report.

            The officer detailed the background to the report and said that the net barrier as originally submitted measured 10 metres but the application had since been amended to propose a 7.5 metre high net.  He detailed the consultation and publicity responses and advised that the recommendation was to approve the application. 

Mr. J. Clewarth spoke against the application.  He said that Members at the site visit would have note that the 14^th green on the golf course was only 10 metres away from his property.  Consequently, golf balls frequently ended up in his garden arising from the second shot from the top of the hill to the green and had resulted in damage to his roof.  He felt that neither the 7.5 nor 10 metre net would solve the problem and asked if there had been any expert advice about its effectiveness.  He said that nets had not been successful at other golf clubs and were now redundant at the Northop golf club as the hole had been moved.  Mr. Clewarth said that net would not be sympathetic to the area as it was to be 50 metres long and supported by stanchions, having the appearance of an institution and would cause overshadowing on his garden.  He felt that the problem was not of his making but was the result of a badly designed golf course: that the situation could be resolved by moving the green. 

Mr. J. Scott, Captain of Mold Golf Club, spoke in support of the application.  As a result of recent complaints the risk assessment had been reviewed and had identified that the likelihood of injury from the golf balls was very low.  The number of complaints had only increased following the removal of a beech tree and the regular trimming of the hedges by Mr. Clewarth .  Signs had been erected, the 150 metre marker had been moved back, out of bounds markers had been put in place to discourage balls being hit in the direction of Mr. Clewarth’s property, and a hardstanding path had also been removed to reduce the risk.  Mr. Scott said that the erection of a net was a last resort and that environmental issues such as the impact of the netting on birds and bats was key to the proposal.  

            Councillor W.O. Thomas proposed the recommendation for approval which was duly seconded.  He said that it was difficult to move the holes around on the long established golf course but added that safety was a key issue.  He said that the net and the supports should be in a material that blended into the area and that they should be maintained to prevent them becoming unsightly. 

            Councillor I. Dunbar proposed an amendment that temporary permission be granted for two years to allow the effectiveness of the net to be monitored and also suggested that it be conditioned that the net be properly and frequently maintained.  The proposal was duly seconded. 

            Councillor D. Butler asked whether the installation of semi-mature trees would be cheaper and more effective than the installation and maintenance of a net.  The officer responded that there was no space to put trees but felt that a temporary permission would allow for monitoring of the net to gauge if it was satisfactory.     

            RESOLVED:

            That planning permission for a temporary period of two years be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Head of Planning and subject to the following additional conditions:-

·         Supports/materials to be agreed

·         Net to be maintained in the interest of appearance/effectiveness.