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Welcome to the Streatham & Marlborough Sweep (SMS), this week we focus on the new pavilion
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I’m afraid we have some news which, whilst initially disappointing, will hopefully lead us to secure a new pavilion in time. In mid-September, following discussions with and advice from Southwark Planning Department, we agreed to withdraw our application for a new pavilion. In its current form, Planning would not approve our application primarily due to issues regarding policy and transport. The issues relate to restrictions placed on having commercial activities (i.e. the nursery) on protected land (the club is located on Metropolitan Open Land) and the additional traffic this would create. We strongly believe that these issues can be overcome and attempted to do so in the original application extending the deadline twice to allow us to engage third parties to support our case. However, the time frame for us to obtain this information, present and for the planners to consider proved unrealistic.
Planning have now asked us to use their pre-planning service to allow for more substantive advice to develop the principle of a nursery on site, as well as any associated mitigation that may be required. We consider it encouraging that the planners are keen to work with us to submit a strong second application. It also allows us to reflect on our original application, adjust and improve, offer clarity where necessary and address the comments made on the planning portal, particularly those of our neighbours on late night noise and tree provision. Our funders and commercial partner remain supportive as we work through this next stage.
Over the next few months, we will be collating supporting documents and improving our application, in collaboration with Southwark Planning. Assuming the commercial element remains viable after pre-planning, we hope to be in a position to submit a new application by year end / early 2021 with a (hopefully positive) decision made at the start of next season in March / April. A build time of approximately 32 weeks would see us opening a new pavilion for the 2022 season.
I wanted to offer our gratitude at the support shown by the membership, particularly all the supportive comments on the planning portal which will support our next bid and showed such desire to keep this club going long into the future. The project is a significant undertaking and will secure the club for the next fifty years, we shouldn't be discouraged by this short term set back. We fight on...
For more information on the Pavilion Project our project - please check out our "Pavilion Special" mail earlier in the year or the Pavilion Project page on our website
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