Countryside charity objects to controversial housing plan for Luton social club
More than 1,300 people signed a petition against the plans
Much-needed family accommodation will be provided in Luton, if a project for 63 homes on the site of the Co-op Sports and Social Club in Round Green is approved, according to a planning report.
The plans have led to a 1,376-signature petition being submitted, an attempt made for community asset recognition and 255 objections to the borough council.
But ecological issues connected to the scheme have been overcome, subject to conditions, said a planning officer's report to the local authority's development management committee.
Applicants Stonebond Properties (St Albans) Limited and Co-operative Group Limited want to demolish the sports and social club and disused tennis courts, and replace them with the housing.
The Co-operative Luton Bowls Club indoor and outdoor facilities would remain on the five-and-a-half acre site off Stockingstone Road.
Operations manager for arboriculture, landscape and nature conservation for the council Robert Widd is warning: "In arboricultural terms, I strongly object to this application because of the volume of vegetation and trees being cited for removal.
"I've strong concerns about future damage to the canopies and roots of third-party trees, if the new residents decide to prune the oppressive branches without any form of control measures in place.
"I recommend that LBC serves a tree preservation order on the woodland next to the indoor bowling club building and a second such order on three trees on third-party land."
CPRE Bedfordshire objects to the application, saying: "The entire site shouldn't appear on the brownfield register.
"The application involves loss of a community facility and an area of green space, which are contrary to separate policies within the Luton Local Plan. It would also result in damage to habitats and ecological networks.
"This includes the rewilding of part of the undeveloped portion of the site to create an important ecologically diverse area of land. Factors have changed since the current Local Plan was adopted in November 2017.
"This is the first planning application to come forward over a 10-year period. The proposed development still doesn't feature dates when it will deliver these homes in the local authority's latest housing trajectory.
"That land has never been built on and isn't brownfield. This proposal and supporting documents assume removal of the well-used social club, which is a valuable community facility and should be protected under a Local Plan policy.
"The application would result in the loss of valuable green field open space which is nature rich and irreplaceable. Others have provided evidence of the rich flora and fauna that would be destroyed by this development.
"Even though it's a small area, green pockets in urban locations such as this are few and far between in the borough and should be improved andpreserved."
The issues raised have been carefully considered by the council’s ecology consultant, who suggested an ecological improvement management condition, explained the committee report.
"The final consultation response from the consultant doesn't raise any objection to the development on the grounds of ecology. The application site isn't identified as any form of open space and doesn't comprise of any such description on the proposals map of the adopted Local Plan.
"It's not publicly accessible. It's arguably vacant land that has become overgrown, and to this extent it's open. But the whole site is allocated for residential purposes."
The committee is due to consider the plans tomorrow night (Wednesday, October 21).