Sports plan is backed despite green belt fear

COUNCILLORS have backed plans for a sports pavilion to be built on green belt land, even though it goes against their policy.

Wycombe District Council's planning experts recommended that the plan for Lane End playing fields should be refused, but councillors reversed this.

Instead the plan will go back to the next planning applications panel meeting with a 'minded to approve' recommendation.

Cllr John Dalton (Ind, The Wooburns), told Wednesday's meeting: 'This facility is badly needed.

'It is all very well to conjecture about an alternative site when we have this and I would support it.'

The application is the second submitted by Lane End Parish Council to provide better sports facilities for teenagers after a study in 1994 revealed they turned to crime because they were bored.

The original application was later withdrawn.

Both of the plans sparked opposition from the Lane End Residents Action Group and from Lane End Sports and Social Club.

They said: 'The size of the building is inappropriate to the needs of the village and will give rise to increased lighting and pollution.'

They also raise concerns about the detrimental effect on residents' amenities, the lack of parish council consultation, inadequate parking for residents, and increased traffic close to a dangerous bend.

This application is smaller than the original one submitted in May 1999 and excludes plans for a sports hall.

It proposes to demolish the existing single-storey club building, in The Row, Lane End, and replace it with a two-storey pavilion measuring 30.5-metres by 19-metres.

It will include changing rooms, a youth club facility, a coffee bar and a fitness/gym which will be operated by Wycombe Leisure on the ground floor, and a lounge/bar and a private hire function room on the first floor.

A parish council spokesman said: 'A referendum will be held when the parish council has viable options to present to the parish.

'The residents will then decide.'