Rugby club seeks extra time from planners
| Published: 1st September 2008 13:39 |
Planners could blow the final whistle on a local rugby club unless it can convince councillors that its ‘temporary' stadium has not caused problems for local residents.
Permission for the Moseley RFC ground, with floodlights, seating and clubhouse at Billesley Common was granted in 2002, with a condition that the pitch and all buildings be removed by June this year - before the start of the new season.
The reason given for this was to allow planners to assess the impact of Moseley Rugby Club's new home on local traffic and nearby homes. The club has now applied to extend the temporary consent for a further five years.
In its defence the club has submitted evidence of the strenuous attempts it makes to persuade fans and members to use public transport - as well as the great deal of extra sports provision for local people.
"An all weather pitch has provided an immense contribution to the local community in its first twelve months of operation", says the club statement.
It claims more than 35,000 individual uses of the pitch, including 600 children a week from the nearby Wheelers Lane School.
A traffic and public transport survey at the time of the original planning application showed the Moseley ground could accommodate a capacity of 15,000 spectators for top games.
The club now says the evidence shows this has not caused any negative effect on highway safety or traffic flows in the area.
It says a new entrance from Yardley Wood Road has been built and, because traffic is marshalled and local schools are used for overflow parking, there is no extra on-street parking at all on match days.
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