Agenda item

Proposal: Change of use from existing agricultural field to create new leisure facility. Construction of golf driving range with associated clubhouse, parking, and amenities

Location: Existing Agricultural Field off Meadow Drove, Bourne

Recommendation: To authorise the Assistant Director – Planning & Growth to GRANT planning permission, subject to conditions

Proposal: Change of use from existing agricultural field to create new leisure facility. Construction of golf driving range with associated clubhouse, parking, and amenities

Location: Existing Agricultural Field off Meadow Drove, Bourne

Recommendation: To authorise the Assistant Director – Planning & Growth to GRANT planning permission, subject to conditions

 

Noting comments in the public speaking session by:

 

District Ward Councillor                            Cllr Zoe Lane

Applicant                                                   Mr Daniel Cundy

 

Together with:

 

·       Provision within SKDC Local Plan 2011-2036 and National Planning Policy Framework.

·       Comments received from LCC Highways & SuDS Support

·       Comments received from Anglian Water

·       Comments received from Bourne Town Council - Objection

·       Comments received from Environmental Protection

·       Comments received from Black Sluice Inland Drainage Board

·       Comments received from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue

·       Comments received from Environment Agency

·       Comments received from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust

·       Comments received from Heritage Lincolnshire (Archaeology)

 

Councillor Charmaine Mogan declared she was approached by the Ward Councillor to accept the call-in for the application. She declared she had no interest in the application and was completely open-minded.

 

The following comments were made by the public speaker:

 

·       The Ward Councillor raised concerns around residents’ comments around traffic issues around the village of Dyke and the bridge.

·       Concern was raised around nesting owls close to the site. It would be preferred if any construction period could take place outside of owl breeding season.

·       Potential of light pollution was raised.

·       The application was within open countryside.

·       It was noted that benefits around employment and a low impact activity for the community.

 

·       The Applicant was community focused for Bourne.

 

·       The project presented years of planning, working in conjunction with partners and consultants to ensure the application was environmentally responsible, economically and socially viable.

 

·       The facility would be a top-quality driving range technology with indoor simulators and family friendly miniature golf, all designed to make the sport accessible to everyone.

 

·       The application had been positively supported by Golf England.

 

·       The proposal would use less than 1/5 of an existing field with the majority remaining as open grassland, enhanced with native planting and hedgerow restoration.

 

·       A sensitive directional lighting strategy had been provided to use low spill LED technology. All lighting would be fully shielded and contained within the site boundaries.

 

·       There had been no objections from Highways on the application in terms of traffic.

 

·       The application would provide jobs and open career paths.

 

During questions to public speaker, Members commented on the following:

 

·       How many jobs the proposal would provide.

 

It was confirmed the golfing range would provide 8 jobs to start with and it was hoped to expand in the future.

 

·       Whether 250 people were expected to visit the club in one day. It was noted there were only 70 parking spaces available.

 

The applicant felt 70 parking spaces would be sufficient for visitors and staff throughout each day. The applicant clarified that the number of visitors referred to was an estimate for each day overall, not at any given time.

 

·       Clarification was sought around the operational hours.

 

The anticipated operational hours were anticipated to be around 10am-7/8pm. Lighting would only be utilised in winter months, when required.

 

·       A query was raised on the use of the clubhouse.

 

The clubhouse would be used solely by driving range users to access snack/drink facilities.

 

It was clarified the indoor facilities were indoor golf booths used via technology.

 

The golfing range would provide club hire for the mini-golf and members would be able to hire a single club so that the facility is accessible to all.

 

·       A query was raised around security and lighting of the facility.

 

There would be minimal security lighting with bollard lower level lighting to minimise any impact.

 

It was envisaged for the club to be open every day, including normal bank holidays.

 

·       A query was raised on whether the land was suitable for golfing, with it being agricultural.

 

The applicant confirmed the driving range would have mats for people to hit off and the agricultural ground was in a good condition.

 

·       One Member commented on the 10am opening time and felt that was too late to open for golfers.

 

The applicant confirmed that noise had to be taken into consideration alongside time for the team to collect the golf balls from the field.

 

 

During questions to officers and debate, Members commented on the following:

 

·       One Member suggested conditioning operational hours from 8am-8pm.

 

It was confirmed this could be reviewed within a management plan prior to operation of the site. The Committee could have oversight of the condition, if they felt necessary.

 

It was requested that a construction management plan included specific details of ecological measures, including appropriate lighting, during the phase which included the protection of species e.g. owls and bats.

 

Final decision

 

It was proposed, seconded and AGREED to authorise the Assistant Director – Planning & Growth to GRANT planning permission, subject to conditions:

 

Time Limit for Commencement

 

1        The development hereby permitted shall be commenced before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

 

Reason: In order that the development is commenced in a timely manner, as set out in Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).

 

Approved Plans

 

2        The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with planning application form, and with the following list of approved plans:

 

          Site Plan 1:1250 Drawing No. STWNBOUR_0001 A111 7

          Site Plan 1:500 Drawing No. STWNBOUR_0001 A110 8

          Ground Floor Layout Drawing No. STWNBOUR_0001 A100 5

          External Elevations Drawing No. STWNBOUR_0001 A400 4

          Sections Drawing No. STWNBOUR_0001 A300                   

 

                     Unless otherwise required by another condition of this permission.

              

                     Reason: To define the permission and for the avoidance of doubt.

 

 

Before the Development is Commenced

 

3        Before the development hereby permitted is commenced, details demonstrating how the proposed building would comply with the requirements of Local Plan Policy SB1 must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include details of how carbon dioxide emissions would be minimised through the design and construction of the buildings; details of water efficiency and the provision of electric car charging points.

 

          The approved sustainable building measures shall be completed in full, in accordance with the agreed scheme, prior to the first occupation of the development hereby permitted.

          Reason: To ensure the development mitigates and adapts against climate change in accordance with Local Plan Policy SB1.

 

4        No development shall take place until a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) for archaeological works has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The WSI shall be informed by the results of the archaeological trial trench evaluation and shall provide for an appropriate programme of archaeological mitigation, which may include targeted excavation, strip-map-record, or other proportionate archaeological works, together with provision for post-excavation analysis, reporting and archiving.

 

The development shall be undertaken in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: In order to provide a reasonable opportunity to record the history of the site and in accordance with Policy EN6 of the adopted South Kesteven Local Plan and the NPPF (section 16).

 

 

5        Before the development hereby permitted is commenced, details of hard landscaping works shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Details shall include:

 

i.         proposed finished levels and contours;

ii.        means of enclosure;

iii.       car parking layouts;

iv.       other vehicle and pedestrian access and circulation areas;

v.        hard surfacing materials;

vi.       minor artefacts and structures (e.g. furniture, play equipment, refuse or other storage units, signs, lighting etc.);

vii.      proposed and existing functional services above and below ground (e.g. drainage power, communications cables, pipelines etc. indicating lines, manholes, supports etc.);

viii.     retained historic landscape features and proposals for restoration, where relevant.

 

Reason: Hard landscaping and tree planting make an important contribution to the development and its assimilation with its surroundings and in accordance with Policy DE1 of the adopted South Kesteven Local Plan.

 

During Building Works

 

6        The development hereby permitted shall be undertaken in accordance with a Construction Management Plan and Method Statement that shall first be approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The Plan and Statement shall indicate measures to mitigate the adverse impacts of vehicle activity and the means to manage the drainage of the site during the construction stage of the permitted development. It shall include;

 

-the phasing of the development to include access construction;

-the on-site parking of all vehicles of site operatives and visitors;

-the on-site loading and unloading of all plant and materials;

-the on-site storage of all plant and materials used in constructing the development; - wheel washing facilities;

- the routes of construction traffic to and from the site including any off-site routes for the disposal of excavated material and;

- strategy stating how surface water run off on and from the development will be managed during construction and protection measures for any sustainable drainage features. This should include drawing(s) showing how the drainage systems (temporary or permanent) connect to an outfall (temporary or permanent) during construction.

-details of the ecological avoidance, mitigation and protective measures to be implemented before and during the construction phase, including but not necessarily limited to, the following:

(i) Identification of ecological protection areas/buffer zones and tree root protection areas and details of physical means of protection, e.g. protection fencing.

(ii) Working method statements for protected/priority species, such as nesting birds, reptiles, roosting bats, and badgers.

(iii) Full details/measures to mitigate any impact on Local Wildlife Site-Dyke Fen Drain

(iv) Details of any external lighting during the construction phase adjacent to identified ecological protection areas/buffer zones.

 

Reason: In the interests of the safety and free passage of those using the adjacent public highway and to ensure that the permitted development is adequately drained without creating or increasing flood risk to land or property adjacent to, or downstream of, the permitted development during construction and in the interests of ecological protection.

 

7        The development shall not commence until a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (the HMMP)], prepared in accordance with the approved Biodiversity Gain Plan and including:

 

a) a non-technical summary;

(b) the roles and responsibilities of the people or organisation(s) delivering the (HMMP)

(c) the planned habitat creation and enhancement works to create or improve habitat to achieve the biodiversity net gain in accordance with the approved Biodiversity Gain Plan;

(d) the management measures to maintain habitat in accordance with the approved Biodiversity Gain Plan for a period of 30 years from the completion of development; (could be occupation)and

(e) the monitoring methodology and frequency in respect of the created or enhanced habitat to be submitted to the local planning authority, has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the local planning authority.

 

The development shall be undertaken in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: To ensure the development delivers a biodiversity net gain on site in accordance with Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (and policy EN2).

 

Before the Development is Occupied

 

8        Prior to first occupation on site further details relating to the vehicular access to the public highway, including materials, specification of works and construction method shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval.

 

The approved details shall be implemented on site before the development is first occupied and thereafter retained at all times.

 

Reason: In the interests of safety of the users of the public highway and the safety of the users of the site.

 

9        The permitted development shall be undertaken in accordance with a surface water drainage scheme which shall first have been approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall:

 

• be based on the results of evidenced groundwater levels and seasonal variations (e.g. via relevant groundwater records or on-site monitoring in wells, ideally over a 12-month period);

• be based on sustainable drainage principles and an assessment of the hydrological and hydrogeological context of the development;

• provide flood exceedance routing for storm event greater than 1 in 100 year;

• provide details of how run-off will be safely conveyed and attenuated during storms up to and including the 1 in 100 year critical storm event, with an allowance for climate change, from all hard surfaced areas within the development into the existing local drainage infrastructure and watercourse system without exceeding the run-off rate for the undeveloped site;

• provide attenuation details and discharge rates which shall be restricted to an agreed amount of litres per second;

• provide details of the timetable for and any phasing of implementation for the drainage scheme; and

• provide details of how the scheme shall be maintained and managed over the lifetime of the development, including any arrangements for adoption by any public body or Statutory Undertaker and any other arrangements required to secure the operation of the drainage system throughout its lifetime.

 

No part of the development shall be occupied until the approved scheme has been completed or provided on the site in accordance with the approved phasing. The approved scheme shall be retained and maintained in full, in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: To ensure that the permitted development is adequately drained without creating or increasing flood risk to land or property adjacent to, or downstream of, or upstream of, the permitted development.

 

10       The development shall be carried out in accordance with the amended section plan by Studio Twenty [ref: STWNBOUR_0001 A300, dated 26 November 2025] and the submitted flood risk assessment by Urban Water [ref: U0637 FRA-v1, dated June 2025] with the following mitigation measures it details:

• Finished floor levels of the driving range and entrance lobby shall be set no lower than 3.95m above Ordnance Datum (AOD)

• Finished floor levels of the remainder of the building shall be set no lower than 4.6m above Ordnance Datum (AOD)

• Flood resilience and resistance measures to be incorporated into the proposed development as stated in sections 6.9 – 6.15 of the FRA.

 

These mitigation measures shall be fully implemented prior to occupation of the building and subsequently shall be retained and maintained thereafter throughout the lifetime of the development.

 

Reason To reduce the risk of flooding to the proposed development and future occupants in line with Policy EN 5 of the South Kesteven Local Plan.

 

11       No building works which comprise the erection of a building requiring to be served by water services shall be commenced unless and until full details of a scheme for the disposal of foul drainage has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority (“the Approved Foul Drainage Scheme”). The development shall proceed in accordance with the Approved Foul Drainage Scheme.

 

There shall be no occupation of buildings approved by this permission unless and until the Approved Foul Drainage Scheme has been completed.

 

Reason To ensure protection of the water environment, and to meet the objectives of the Water Framework Directive as set out in the Anglian River Basin Management Plan and to ensure compliance with Policy EN 4 of the South Kesteven Local Plan.

 

12                 Before any part of the development hereby permitted is occupied / brought into use, a Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (LEMP) shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The plan shall include:

 

Long term design objectives

Management responsibilities; and

Maintenance schedules for all landscaped areas,

A plan specifying the location and type of integral bird nesting features (including for swifts) and bat roosting features to be provided. Numbers to be provided in line with best practice guidelines.

A plan distinguishing land required to meet mitigation and BNG objectives.

A plan specifying features to be provided to promote other protected species/non-protected species as outlined within the submitted Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (May 2025) Opportunities for Enhancement including but not limited to hedgehog shelters, insect hotels.

The development shall be undertaken in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: Soft landscaping/ecological improvements makes an important contribution to the development and its assimilation with its surroundings; and in accordance with Policy EN2 of the adopted Local Plan.

 

13       Notwithstanding the submitted lighting report, details of any external lighting shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority before the use hereby permitted takes place] [and] [the building(s) is/are occupied]. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 

Reason: To ensure a satisfactory form of development and to ensure no unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area or the amenity of neighbouring occupiers.

 

14       Before any construction work above ground is commenced, details of soft landscaping works shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Details shall include:

 

i.         planting plans;

ii.        written specifications (including cultivation and other operations associated with plant and grass establishment);

iii.       schedules of plants, noting species, plant sizes and proposed numbers/densities where appropriate;

 

Reason: Soft landscaping and tree planting make an important contribution to the development and its assimilation with its surroundings and in accordance with Policies DE1, EN3 of the adopted South Kesteven Local Plan.

 

15       Before any part of the development hereby permitted is occupied/brought into use, the external elevations shall have been completed using only the materials stated in the planning application forms unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

          

Reason: To ensure a satisfactory appearance to the development and in accordance with Policy DE1 of the adopted South Kesteven Local Plan.

 

16                 Before the end of the first planting/seeding season following the occupation/first use of any part of the development hereby permitted, all soft landscape works shall have been carried out in accordance with the approved soft landscaping details.

 

                     Reason: Soft landscaping and tree planting make an important contribution to the development and its assimilation with its surroundings and in accordance with Policies DE1, EN3 and OS1 of the adopted South Kesteven Local Plan.

 

Before the development hereby permitted is first brought into use, a Site Operational Management Plan shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The Plan shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following details:-

 

 o Hours of operation

o Days of operation

o Hours of lighting operation

o Maximum number of customers on site at any one time. 

 

Thereafter, the development shall be undertaken strictly in accordance with the approved Site Operational Management Plan.

 

Reason: To ensure that the proposed development does not have an unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area, and in accordance with Policy DE1 and EN2 of the adopted Local Plan.

 

 

On-going Conditions

 

17       Monitoring reports shall be submitted to the local planning authority in writing in accordance with the methodology and frequency specified in the approved (HMMP).

 

Reason: To ensure the development delivers a biodiversity net gain on site in accordance with Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (and policy EN2).

 

18       Notwithstanding the provisions of Schedule 2, Parts 3 and 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any order revoking or re-enacting that Order with or without modification), the premises shall only be used for the purposes specified below and for no other purpose, unless Planning Permission for a new use of the premises has been granted by the Local Planning Authority:

 

- Golf driving range

 

Reason: The use of the premises for any other purpose at this location would require further assessment by the Local Planning Authority.

 

The clubhouse and outdoor seating area hereby permitted shall only be used for ancillary purposes by persons using the driving range and/or miniature golf.

 

Reason: To define the permission, for the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of sustainable development.

 

(Councillors Tim Harrison, Helen Crawford and Paul Fellows left the meeting at 17:15).