On 25 March 2013 Eastcote Hockey Club withdrew their third planning application to construct a second all-weather specialist hockey pitch with associated floodlighting, fencing and car parking on Kings College Playing Fields.
The reasons given by the club’s chairman are quoted on this page of the FoPM website.
Third application
Details of the club’s third planning application filed on 13 November 2012 are still available via this link on the Hillingdon Council website.
Refusal recommended
EHC’s third application was due to be considered by the Hillingdon Council North planning committee meeting on 26 March 2013. The report prepared for this meeting Council planning officers had recommended the application to be refused. The officer’s full report can be viewed via this link.
More reasons to refuse
Following the publication of the officer’s recommendation before EHC withdrew their application, FoPM circulated a list of further reasons why the application should have been refused. See this link for details.
Letters of objection
On 14 January 2013 prior to the deadline set by the council for receipt of objections, FoPM submitted to the planning department a detailed letter setting out a wide range of planning and non-planning objections.
On 26 February following the addition of numerous amendments and additions by the club to their application, FOPM sent a further letter of objections, like the former supported by detailed appendices.
Petition
As in the case of EHC’s previous two applications, FOPM organised the petition against the scheme. Over 5,500 Hillingdon residents signed it.
It was presented at the Civic Centre to local councillor Catherine Dan on 8 February 2013. The number of signatures being well in excess of the 2,500 qualifying threshold, the petition went before a meeting of the full Hillingdon Council on Thursday 28 February 2013
FOPM Vice Chairman Mike Grimmel took the opportunity afforded by Hillingdon’s local democracy provisions to address the meeting. To read his speech, click this link.
Village Green
FOPM’s proposal that the council should voluntarily designate the open green space between Bury Street and Elmbridge Drive a Village Green has also been subject to a petition.
This has now attracted more than 5,000 signatures from Hillingdon residents. This was presented to be delivered to the Civic Centre during the week commencing 1 April.
The petitions procedure was changed and the proposal was rejected by the council in July 2013.
End in sight for pitch battle?
Our quest for a second pitch of the clubhouse site was not successful. We have been doing a lot of work with the council and others about a potential new site for the clubhouse with two Astros in the vicinity and we will keep members updated as our discussions progress. Does this message from Eastcote Hockey Club Chairman Rob Riddlestone’s seasonal message to his members