Brockham Badgers FC Planning Application at Sunnybanks Farm, Betchworth:
THE FACTS
18 May 2008

NOTE: If you would like to comment on this application then please visit the Mole Valley District Council web site planning portal here and seek out planning reference MO/2008/0622. Here you will also find details of the site plan, technical notes, plus notes of objection and support to date. The deadline for comments is Friday 23rd May.

Brockham Badgers FC (BBFC) has recently submitted a planning application to Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) to change the use of land at Sunnybanks Farm, Station Road, Betchworth, from agricultural to recreational. This application has been made via the land owners – Royce Services Engineering Ltd, and is intended to provide additional grass football surfaces for the club’s members from September 2009.

Residents immediately adjacent to the land were informed proactively by the landowner in advance of receiving notice from MVDC, and both Buckland and Betchworth parish councils have been provided with full planning application packs.

Despite this, the application has been the subject of considerable conjecture, assumption, and inaccurate reporting. Now is a good time therefore, for the club to make clear its plans and position, to all its members and to the residents of Brockham, Betchworth, and Buckland, so that everyone can form or review their opinions from a position based upon real facts.

Why has the club submitted this application?
Brockham Badgers FC provides access to football for approximately 350 girls and boys from Brockham, Betchworth, Buckland, and surrounding areas - making up 24 teams aged from 6yrs to 16yrs.

Despite doing our best to balance home and away schedules this means we still have to find 12+ match surfaces and 24 training slots every week. This is an enormous logistical challenge for a volunteer run organisation, which is made more challenging by the fact that the club is neither tenant nor owner of a single blade of grass.

Most of our football matches are played at the magnificent Big Field, where we rent ONE 11-a-side pitch and TWO mini‐soccer pitches from Dorking Rugby Football Club (DRFC). We also rent a limited number of slots on
the floodlit rugby training pitch. As BBFC and DRFC have expanded, the sharing of these surfaces for both sports has led to over use and at times an unplayable surface for football.

The club also rents up to THREE 11‐a‐side pitches from MVDC at the Big Field. These are tremendous surfaces but are public pitches. MVDC has a duty to service not just BBFC but also other local clubs e.g. Ockley Acorns
are regular users. As such BBFC has to apply each year for their use and this cannot always be guaranteed.

To accommodate all teams we also use mini-soccer pitches at Brockham School, 11-a-side pitches at Brockham Recreation Ground and Meadowbank in Dorking, plus training slots at St John’s in Dorking and at Wonham
Manor in Betchworth.

By creating playing surfaces at Sunnybanks we hope to achieve the following:

• Establish club control of some of the playing and training pitches we need.
• Improve the quality of the playing and training surfaces we use.
• Reduce the mileage travelled and the traffic load created by consolidating from the six current venues
and facilities used to two (Sunnybanks and The Big Field).
• Provide a centrally located facility within a short distance to all members.
• Withdraw traffic congestion and parking hazards from Brockham village.
• Relieve the strain on already over‐subscribed public playing fields.
• Enable the continued development and access of sporting activities to local children.
• Enhance the quality and experience of sports participation for local children.

Is there not suitable extra land at The Big Field to create additional playing surfaces?
No. Whilst the agricultural land to the North of the existing playing surfaces could be made available to the club, it is neither suitable nor economically viable. A National Playing Fields Association assessment commissioned by the club concluded the incline is too extreme to avoid terracing, and the cost of preparing suitable football surfaces alone would exceed £200,000. In addition, the club feels this would add a greater burden on existing facilities and further add to local congestion.

Has the club been asked to move from the Big Field?
No. The club has a very good relationship with both DRFC and MVDC.

Is the club moving away from The Big Field?
No. The club will continue to be a significant user of the Big Field. The intention is to withdraw winter training to Sunnybanks, and then to balance weekend activities between the two sites.

Why the Sunnybanks site?
There are a number of reasons for this:

• The site is suitable in both size and topography.
• The landlord is willing to lease the site to the club.
• The site is located centrally to the catchment area of the largest proportion of members – Brockham, Betchworth, and Buckland.
• There are very few residents immediately adjacent to the land.
• The site has existing access points from major roads.

What other options has the club explored?
The club has been looking for a suitable site for two years. The club has written to the owners of seven other potential sites in the local area - none of which was willing to lease the land or did not respond at all. The club has also met with MVDC to ask for suggestions of other possible “three Bs” sites - there were none. As a half-solution the club has even proposed taking over the lease from MVDC for the three Big Field pitches and the council changing facilities. This was not an idea acceptable to either the council or The Big Field Committee.

Would the club consider other sites and ideas?
Absolutely ‐ yes. Providing they were local to the majority of our members. If you have any please contact us.

Is the club intending to continue to grow unabated?
No. The 30 or so volunteer committee members, coaches, and managers have enough to contend with as it is. The club wants to get better not bigger. We wish to improve the facilities at the children’s disposal to ensure they can develop their involvement and enjoyment of football to the best of their potential.

How many pitches will be at Sunnybanks?
Three 11-a-side pitches, three mini-soccer pitches, and a ¾ sized training pitch.

When will they be used?
All pitches will be used typically from 9am to noon on Saturdays and Sundays. The ¾ sized training pitch will typically be used from 4:30pm to 9pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with some relief on other
West field pitches when light prevails. No football will be played between the first week of May and August inclusive.

Will there be floodlights?
Yes, but only around ONE pitch ‐ the ¾ sized training pitch. The lights will be disguised from view by residents and the road when off due to their position and colour, and they will not be permanent fixtures (i.e. they will be portable)

Is the proposed site not susceptible to flooding?
Some parts of the site are susceptible to becoming water logged but pitch locations have avoided these. An initial consultation suggests that by re-clearing existing irrigation ditches the situation will be greatly improved.
An agronomists survey is to be commissioned by the club shortly, which will detail how best to manage this. The club does not believe this will be a significant issue.

Is the proposed parking site sufficient?
Yes. It is important to note that not all of BBFC’s football activities are being moved to Sunnybanks. It is anticipated only 50% of weekend matches will take place at Sunnybanks, whilst no parent parking is required for mid-week training. Despite this, sufficient parking spaces have been allowed for 100% of matches to be accommodated providing fixtures are scheduled appropriately. The club sees no reason therefore why anyone will have any issue parking in the area allocated and no reason to park on the A25 or in Tranquil Dale.

Tranquil Dale residents concerned with the sights beholding them at The Big Field in Brockham some weekends should note that BBFC estimates it accounts for only 20% of parking congestion at the Big Field on its busiest day (Sunday), the remainder being rugby related or other football teams to whom MVDC has rented its pitches. All BBFC activities are typically concluded by noon, so afternoon congestion is never attributed to
the club.

Will parking accommodate coaches?
No. The club has NEVER had any team arrive in a coach. Access to the site would not be sufficient and is likely to be of restricted height. The car park will also be locked when not during times of inactivity.

Is the location not considered a safety issue for pedestrians and cyclists, or even motorists?
Safety is a concern of the club but we do not anticipate members arriving by bicycle or on foot at Sunnybanks. As stated in the technical note accompanying the application, the club expects nearly all players to arrive by
shared occupancy cars. Access to the site will be a significant part of our investment to ensure it meets all necessary safety regulations. Additionally, pitches will be positioned at sufficient distances from the A25 to avoid balls reaching the highway.

Will this project not create more congestion on the local highways?
No. 95% of members currently travel to training and matches by car and are therefore already currently on the highway network.

Has the club applied for planning permission for a clubhouse?
No. The current application is for change of use only.

Does the club ever plan to apply for permission to build a clubhouse?
Not a clubhouse, but the club would like to provide changing facilities at a future date providing sufficient funds were available but they are a secondary priority and a “nice to have”. Changing facilities would be very
small and very basic if funded by the club – a changing room, storage for balls, nets, and flags, and limited toilet facilities.

If funds could be obtained from the Football Foundation then the changing facilities would have to adhere to strict specifications that would require them to be larger and more robust in nature – multiple changing rooms, toilet facilities, and a small kitchen area from which teas and coffees could be served.

A separate planning application would be required for either. In both instances such changing facilities would be positioned out of sight of the road and residents.

Would the changing facilities have a bar or serve alcohol?
Absolutely not. BBFC is a children’s football club – we have no senior side. The club has no intention of providing such a facility and the landlord has no intention of this being allowed.

This is where the line between changing facilities and clubhouse is drawn. There will be no bar and any common areas created by potential Football Foundation funding would not be large enough to accommodate any significant public gathering.

Has the club considered local residents in its planning?
Absolutely yes. The club does understand that any change is objectionable. As local people, the club has been as sympathetic as it can be whilst meeting its needs.

1. No pitches have been located adjacent to any residents’ property or directly in view of their gardens.
2. The training pitch and floodlights will be located in the North field some considerable distance from residents and therefore eliminating the potential for light and noise pollution during the week.
3. The larger pitches for the older age groups have been located in the West field adjacent to the landlord’s property and some considerable distance from residents.
4. The smaller age groups (6-10yrs) will play in the East field nearest residents, but not adjacent to their boundary. We would encourage residents to visit these age groups on Saturdays at Brockham Schoolor the Big Field to experience what little noise is actually created by these teams, and what little noise actually travels the appropriate distance to their gardens.
5. Weekend matches are limited to mornings only, and no football will take place between May and August inclusive, when most residents will wish to enjoy their gardens. Weekday activities typically take place in the Autumn and Winter evenings when residents will not be in their gardens.
6. No car parking has been located adjacent to any residents’ property.
7. The car park will be surfaced in natural materials, sympathetic to the surroundings – probably gravel.
8. The hedgerow around the perimeter of the proposed car park area will be grown to a height sufficient to obscure it from sight from Tranquil Dale residents.
9. Access to pitches will be via the West field only. Players and spectators will therefore NOT be able to walk through southerly part of the East field and therefore past the end of Tranquil Dale gardens.
10. The landlord and the club are willing to rope off the southerly extent of the East field in order to prevent spectators strolling through it by mistake.
11. Any changing facilities introduced at a later date will be located in a position out of sight of the road and of any Tranquil Dale residents. This will minimise the risk of vandalism and of course not obscure residents’ views.

Are these layout plans set in stone?
No. The club is flexible. It is very happy to discuss alternative layouts.

Will these plans not significantly detract from the rural surroundings?
No. All surfaces will still be grass. No fixed structures will be visible. Goals will be removed during the summer months. Other than from the road and the gardens of a few Tranquil Dale residents, the land cannot be viewed without trespassing, as the high land to the North is owned by the Sunnybanks landlord.

Is the club intending to build an all-weather playing surface (Astroturf) at Sunnybanks?
No. The cost of such a surface can be £500,000. The last time we checked we didn’t have a Premiership budget! Whilst the club would dearly love to have access to such a surface and part-funding can be obtained from the Football Foundation, such funding is contingent on providing all‐day access to football for a range of users, including schools, the disabled and other clubs. The Sunnybanks site is not suitable from an access or location perspective for such regular use, but more importantly such access and regularity of use goes beyond the desires of the landowner, who may place such restrictive provisions within the lease. The club is pursuing opportunities for such a project with MVDC and local schools. These will NOT be at Sunnybanks.

Will the Sunnybanks site be used for BBFC’s annual public football tournament?
No. This event attracts thousands of players and spectators. The Sunnybanks site is simply not suitable and the landlord has no wish for such an event to be held even if it could be. BBFC is very happy with this event
being hosted at The Big Field and has no intention of changing.

Other than training and matches will BBFC use Sunnybanks for any of its other activities?
The club will certainly consider using the site for its own internal fun day and awards ceremony. It is likely these will be restricted to the West field.

Does the club run Summer camps and other school holiday training programs?
No. Brockham Badgers does not run any all-day training courses during school holidays. These are run by a third-party who organises the use of the Big Field independently. It just so happens that many of its members attend these courses. The club has no plans to accommodate these courses at the Sunnybanks site.

Will the Sunnybanks pitches be rented to Dorking FC or any other senior side?
No. It’s as simple as that.

Will any of the Sunnybanks football facilities be rented out for other events?
No. This is where conjecture and assumption has reached astonishing levels of creative imagination. It is incredible, but accusations of hosting every one of the following have been made. We shall be clear and answer specifically by addressing some of the incarnations suggested as a means of making a general and unequivocal statement.

The facility will NOT be rented out for private parties, weddings, race nights, annual balls, carnivals, summer camps, concerts, bonfires, car boot sales, fun fairs, dog trials, or any other similar activity.

Will there be hoardings, banners, or fencing around pitches?
No. This is children’s football. No such measures are necessary or required. There will be plain and simple flat grass surfaces.

Is the club willing to publicly consult with local residents about its plans?
Yes. We are waiting to hear whether our presence is desired at the next appropriate parish council meetings. Alternatively, we would like to invite residents to tour the site and discuss our plans in a considered manner at
a date in the near future.