We asked, you said, we did

We asked

During the third pre-planning consultation round, we showcased the final design proposals for Clitterhouse Playing Fields, demonstrating how feedback from the second round had been incorporated.

We asked you:

• what you thought about the addition of new seating and picnic benches; new rubbish and recycling bins; and whether you liked the biodiversity and nature improvements
• what you thought about the new pavilion, which will include a café, indoor seating, public toilets and changing rooms
• whether you liked the variety of sports and play facilities on offer
• whether you were happy with the plans to deliver fewer pitches (compared to the original Reserved Matters Application (RMA)) - and for these to be all-weather pitches so that they can be used year-round
• what you thought about the plans to involve the community in the management of and decision-making around the playing fields
• what you thought about giving discounted pitch hire rates and priority booking to local groups/people
• whether you liked the plans to improve existing and create new entrances and pathways across and around Clitterhouse Playing Fields, to make it more accessible
• whether you agreed with plans for only Blue Badge holders to park at Clitterhouse Playing Fields, with other visitors encouraged to use public transport
• what you thought about the use of CCTV to help deter anti-social behaviour to make the playing fields a safer place for all.

You said

This third consultation phase, which included both in-person and online events, gathered a total of 442 feedback forms, 28 comment cards, and six emails. We engaged with a total of 693 individuals throughout the in-person events held.

You told us that the variety of sports and play facilities was welcome, along with the plans for lighting the pitches and courts to ensure they can be used year-round. You were overwhelmingly supportive of the proposed improvements to nature and biodiversity. You liked the addition of a new pavilion within the playing fields and the new seating and picnic benches proved popular among respondents. You told us that you had some concerns around the sports pitches, with the opening hours, location, noise, fence height and lighting among the issues raised (these comments came predominantly from residents living in the immediate vicinity of the playing fields, including Swannell Way and the Golders Green Estate). However, you were supportive of the plans to move the pitches further away from neighbouring homes and welcomed the fact that the designs included fewer pitches than in the existing RMA. You were supportive of the plans to include the community within the decision-making and management of the playing fields, and of the proposals for CCTV to deter anti-social behaviour.

Parking was another frequently mentioned theme, with concerns related to a lack of car parking space for non-Blue Badge holders, larger families with prams, and visiting teams who might be carrying heavy equipment (and for whom public transport or walking/cycling might not be an option). Respondents were also keen to understand the mitigations in place to ensure that visitors to the new facilities do not park on local roads.

We did

In response to your feedback, we incorporated an additional two drop-in sessions specifically for the residents of Swannell Way and Golders Green Estate – those living closest to the site and the proposed sports pitches. The session focused on our response to concerns raised during the consultation related to parking, lighting, noise, anti-social behaviour, and the number, location, and operating hours of the sports pitches. We made changes in light of this feedback, which included closing the pitches an hour earlier than originally planned, at 9pm rather than 10pm; lowering the fencing around the pitches from 4.5 to 3 metres, except where taller fencing is needed for safety reasons; moving the Blue Badge car park further away from people’s homes; planting more hedges and trees along the southern and northern boundaries; redesigning the coach drop-off point and removing an additional grass pitch that had been planned for use during the football season as part of the multi-use lawn area.

Following this third and final phase of pre-application public consultation, and the additional changes made to the proposals following feedback, a planning application was submitted for proposed improvements to Clitterhouse Playing Fields in November 2022 (application reference: 22/5617/FUL).