'The Quarters' expansion plans

From Bristol Live... https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport...uncil-officers-support-bristol-rovers-5954118

Full article:

Council officers support Bristol Rovers' plans to expand The Quarters but neighbours unhappy.

Bristol Rovers amended plans for The Quarters training ground have been given the support of South Gloucestershire Council officers, but the wait for permission from the authority goes on.

Bristol Rovers plans to expand the clubhouse at The Quarters training ground have been recommended for approval, despite concerns from neighbours.

South Gloucestershire Council planning officer Rae Mepham has recommended the authority approves Rovers request to amend the planning permission for the training base in Hortham Lane, Almondsbury. The club has requested to alter the lay out of it's clubhouse, which is up and running in line with the original planning permission granted in 1993, but it feels the 395m2 space is cramped. A variation of condition application was submitted to the council in April, requesting permission to modify the T-shaped building to a 680m2 square building to create extra changing facilities.

If successful, Rovers will be able to host under-18 and under-23 matches at the training base. The application also seeks to remove conditions relating to opening hours and open of the site for non-professional use.

Despite objections from neighbours, Ms Mepham recommended the application for approval on September 16. Her report reads: "The current occupiers of the site have found that the floor space does not meet the current needs of the club, and it was apparent to the office following a site visit that the facilities are fairly cramped. It is recommended that planning permission is granted."

Homeowners who neighbour the training ground, however, are unhappy with the plans.

Christine Howard says further development at The Quarters would make for an "intolerable" situation. She wrote in an objection letter: "A football has come over into next door's garden on one occasion. The sprayers, which are on daily to keep the pitch watered, spray into our garden and onto us our car. There is low noise daily from mowing of pitches (this doesn't present a problem) and the level of shouting and swearing from players is horrendous. The extending of the clubhouse would no doubt mean it would be used as a venue to provide an income. Again this would cause disturbance into the evening and nighttime. Not to be overlooked is the loss of value to our property because of this development should we be forced to move. Would you want to live here? This proposed development denies us our basic human right to live in peace and enjoy our own homes and gardens as we have done for more than 30 years and planned to be our forever home."

Laurie Mead, another nearby homeowner, shared similar concerns. He wrote: "We feel allowing non-professional players/club members to use the facilities out of hours and weekends would have a massive impact on our home lives. We accept that training happens at the moment on a weekly basis for a few hours per day, normally finishing before 3pm. If training and matches were allowed evenings and weekends, being our garden is not much more than 10m from the pitch, we would have to endure the shouting and swearing which I am aware happens during matches but it would be nice if on an evening or weekend in the garden we wouldn't have to listen to it. On occasions, both my wife and daughter have witnessed players and staff urinating against the hedge which backs onto Hortham Lane. Not nice, especially when they have toilet facilities in their clubhouse. On a recent occasion on a Saturday morning, a ball hit our gates so hard we thought a car had driven into them. "I went out and confronted the players and was passed over to the manager, Joey Barton. I've never heard of him but after a bit of a discussion, he agreed that they would try and refrain from kicking balls into our garden. I've got 6 at present."

Mr Mead also expressed concerns over traffic levels and urged the council to reject the application on the grounds that it would be "detrimental to home life".

On Wednesday, Severn Vale Ward councillor Keith Burchell requested the application be referred to the council's development management committee, which means councillors are likely to vote on the application at a meeting in the coming weeks.

The committee has the power to overrule the planning officer's recommendation for approval and refuse Rovers' application.

 

Some of those objections mind

"A football has come over into next door's garden on one occasion." Once out of how many hours in how many days???

"The sprayers, which are on daily to keep the pitch watered, spray into our garden and onto us our car." Not even an hour a day they are on. How do they manage when it rains for a day?

"This proposed development denies us our basic human right to live in peace" FFS

 

"A football has come over into next door's garden on one occasion."

QUICK, CALL THE POLICE!

"There is low noise daily from mowing of pitches (this doesn't present a problem)"

THEN WHY ****ING MENTION IT THEN?

"...they would try and refrain from kicking balls into our garden. I've got 6 at present."

GIVE THEM BACK YOU BLOODY THIEF!

Basically, it's just two people with massive detached houses having a moan that there's some footballers (ineptly) practicing for a few hours a day near their gardens.

Nothing to see here. Planning will be approved. But some of the stuff the objectors have come up with is really quite funny!

 

The neighbours have withdrawn their comical objections after a meeting with the club and the council have now approved Rovers' plans to substantially expand the clubhouse at The Quarters. Good news!