Provisional approval for pitches
FOOTBALL facilities in Banchory look set to be given a boost with Councillors provisionally approving plans to develop a residential and community playing field.
This week's Marr Area Committee meeting, saw Councillors discuss the application for the building of five houses and garages, and the formation of a new playing field on the land adjacent to the town's King George V Park.
The committee has requested more information on issues such as road access before making a final decision on the application by Neil Gray of Banchory Lodge, on behalf of the Gray Family and King George V Community Project.
Committee members generally welcomed the proposals, but expressed serious concerns about access roads to and from the site.
If the plan is given the green-light, the applicants will donate three acres of land to Banchory and provide a financial package, to enable a playing field to be developed.
The offer has been welcomed by Banchory groups, including Banchory and District Initiative Limited and Banchory Boys Football Club.
Chris Dickinson, a member of the football club's committee recently told the Piper that the groups need "additional football pitches" as the pitches have problems with flooding and they are overworked by the volume of teams training on them.
He said: "KGV is currently unplayable due to the damage caused by the Banchory Show, and it is unclear when it will have recovered enough.
Silverbank has one football pitch which is currently in constant use by Deeside Girls, Banchory Amateurs and Banchory Boys Club, both for training and matches. However, again, it is seriously susceptible to flooding.
If it wasn't for Banchory Boys Club hiring the Banchory St Ternan facility at Milton to play a number of its games then it would be unlikely that it could continue to run as many teams as it currently does."
The club has access to three Council run facilities, KGV, Tillybrake and Silverbank, giving four potential pitches.
Despite this support there have been five letters of objection to the plans, including opposition from the owner of nearby Banchory Lodge Hotel, Margaret Jaffray. The lack of parking for coaches and cars, access to the site, the fact the proposed football pitch is not full size and will be remote from separately proposed sports pavilion and toilet facilities and its general impact on the attractiveness of the area were cited as concerns.
A previous application, in 2005, to build five houses at the site, was refused over access concerns and the "proposed intensification of use."
Nonetheless, the Planning Service, has recommended, subject to at least 15 conditions being met, that authority to grant final approval should be delegated to the Acting Head of Development Management and Building Standards.
Speaking at the meeting Cllr Karen Clark said that access to the site remained a problem and there needed to be more Council input into solving it.
But she welcomed the proposed playing field, as it would add to the capacity of the King George V park.
Cllr Linda Clark also acknowledged the access problems but believed they could get around them.
However, Cllr Jill Webster said that she had "huge concerns" about access and the condition of the roads.
She said that the Committee needed more details about how access would be controlled.
She asked that proposals on that issue should come back to the Committee before any final approval was granted.
Cllr Peter Argyle said that there was an opportunity to create something "very workable".
He also agreed they should ask for fresh proposals to come back to them, to allow the Committee to look at all the issues. Members agreed approval in principle but asked that the application should come back with more details about dealing with the access issue and other matters.
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Weather for Banchory
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 3 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North east
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Temperature: 7 C to 21 C
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