A new floodlit sports facility for Holsworthy has been approved after councillors backed plans designed to boost opportunities for football, netball and informal recreation while also debating whether it should stay open later into the evening.
Members of Torridge District Council’s planning committee voted in favour of the proposal for a multi-use games area, known as a PlayZone, at Stanhope Park. The development will include a hard-surfaced floodlit facility measuring 30 metres by 20 metres, enclosed by fencing and designed for a range of sporting and recreational activities.
Before the decision was made, planning officer Peter Stapley updated councillors on minor amendments following a committee site visit. These included revisions relating to biodiversity net gain information and drainage arrangements.
Peter said: “We’ve had a minor amendment to a location plan. This is all sort of related to the biodiversity net gain.”
He added that updated ecological information had been submitted and that officers were seeking amendments to planning conditions, including a new condition requiring details of a surface water drainage strategy to be approved before work begins.
Peter said discussions with South West Water would continue regarding drainage arrangements and investigations already carried out for the site.
The application relates to land at Stanhope Park in Holsworthy and was submitted by Torridge District Council. Planning documents state the PlayZone will be equipped with integrated goal units, netball facilities, floodlighting and an electronic booking system controlling access to the site.
Speaking in support of the proposal, Cllr Nigel Kenneally said he was “very happy to support this application” but sought assurances that children not involved in organised sports clubs would still be able to use the facility.
Community engagement project officer Adrian Avery told the committee that free-play opportunities would form part of the management arrangements.
Adrian said: “Everything’s based on exactly the same as Torrington approved a couple of weeks ago.
“The elements of free play have been built into the activation plan in association with the Football Foundation, the primary funder of the facility. So that’s all built in and that’ll be linked with the management plan from Active Torridge.”
Cllr Kenneally also questioned a proposed condition restricting use of the facility to between 8am and 9pm.
He said: “The other MUGA in town, or 3G pitch down at the school, is open till 9.30. Is it possible to alter that condition to 9.30?
“You’re going to have groups coming from there because that one’s oversubscribed, coming from there wanting to use this MUGA.”
Adrian responded: “I’ve no problem with that condition being changed.”
Questions were also raised about how the facility would accommodate netball.
Cllr Rosemary Lock asked whether the pitch would be marked out and queried references to integrated goal units at each end.
Explaining the design, Adrian said the Holsworthy facility would differ from a recently approved scheme in Great Torrington because it had been designed to reflect growing demand for netball in the town.
He said: “This is always based upon a growing netball community that’s growing in the town.
“It’s actually going to be a hard surface.”
Adrian explained that while football could be played on the facility, it was intended primarily as a broader activity space rather than a dedicated football pitch.
He said: “It’s more a physical activity facility with the option of playing football on it.”
When Cllr Lock pointed out that a single netball post would be of little use for matches, officers confirmed there would be netball hoops at both ends of the court.
Adrian said the hoops would be attached to the fencing structure rather than fixed into the playing surface.
“They won’t actually have built-in posts into the floor,” he said.
“They’ll come out the fencing from above.”
He added that while the facility would support training and recreational play, it would not be large enough to host formal competitive netball matches.
Adrian said: “They won’t be able to play formal league matches on it because it’s two metres too small.
“It’s more for informal recreational training purposes for children, for adults. More than suitable for that, but not formal matches.”
Planning documents state the PlayZone programme is funded through the Football Foundation and is intended to increase access to high-quality sports facilities, particularly for women and girls, lower-income groups, disabled people and ethnically diverse communities.
The facility will be located on land north of Stanhope Park and south of the existing football pitch. Planning officers concluded that the development would provide an overall community benefit and enhance recreational opportunities in the area.
