Playing field plan withdrawn
Hockey club agrees to West Berks Council assessment of Henwick Worthy facilities
A PLANNING application for an artificial grass playing surface at a Thatcham sports ground has been withdrawn.
West Berkshire Council informed the applicant, Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club (NTHC), that a ‘strategic review’ of the facilities at Henwick Worthy Sports Ground would commence in the new year.
The club has therefore agreed to withdraw its planning application to ensure the assessment can be “performed objectively”.
The application for “a refurbishment and enlargement of the existing tennis courts at the Henwick Worthy Sports Ground to provide a generation 2 artificial grass playing surface” was officially withdrawn in a decision notice released on December 13.
The original application, lodged in July of this year, was for the refurbishment and enlargement of the existing tennis courts to provide an artificial half pitch and the construction of a full-sized artificial grass pitch to replace its existing grass pitch.
However, Sports England objected to the plans on August 25 on the grounds that there was no business plan, no usage plan and no sport lighting details outlined in the proposal.
Sports England South principle planning manager Bob Sharples outlined in an assessment that the submitted application was “extremely poor”.
However, he called the Henwick Worthy ground a “key site” for sport in West Berkshire and advised the hockey club to come back with a new “masterplan”.
Mr Sharples wrote: “I have advised them to withdraw the current application and to work with WBC [West Berkshire Council] and the relevant NGB’s [national governing bodies] to prepare a masterplan for Henwick Worthy Sports Ground.”
Following this objection, the hockey club amended its application to refurbish and extend the existing redundant tennis courts to provide a ‘generation 2 pitch’ for multi-sports without the fullsized pitch from the original application.
Thatcham Town Council met later, in October, and supported the new revised plan, providing that it complied with applicable guidance from Sports England, the International Hockey Federation and other bodies on noise and lighting for sports facilities.
The council said the hours of use should not exceed the hours for the current artificial pitch and the lights should only be switched on when the pitch is in use.
However, the revised plan has since been withdrawn as the Henwick Worthy ground is due to undergo a facility strategic review.
The club said: “After completing the construction of a new high-quality multi-sports artificial pitch, West Berkshire Council have informed Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club that a strategic review of facilities at the Henwick Worthy Recreation Ground will commence in 2022.
“In order to ensure that this assessment can be performed objectively, NTHC has agreed to withdraw its planning application to replace the existing derelict tennis courts with a new multi-sports artificial surface.”
It added: “NTHC look forward to continue working with West Berkshire Council, other local sports clubs and Sport England during 2022 to ensure that sufficient high-quality sports facility provision will be available for the next generation of sports enthusiasts within West Berkshire.”
... a strategic review of facilities at the Henwick Worthy Recreation Ground will commence in 2022