The Golf Centre is an eighteen hole, pay and play public golf course which was established in 1972. The course is located on former farmland on the northern outskirts of Romford. The current driving range site is occupied by a driving range building with separated bays facing towards the southeast. Earthworks have previously been carried to on site to form bunding around the periphery of the driving range area. The wider Golf Centre includes a clubhouse building and maintenance building but these did not form part of the planning application.
This planning application was submitted to remedy the pooling issue whilst simultaneously making qualitative improvements to the bunding on the periphery of the driving range to help retain balls within the confines of the range and improve safety of members of the public utilising adjacent footpaths.
The Local Planning Authority confirmed the works proposed do not represent inappropriate development, subject to preserving the openness of the Green Belt.
Smart Planning submitted a planning support statement with the planning application which detailed how the proposal met with current planning policy as well as submitting detailed topographical plans showing the existing and proposed works to the driving range.
Smart Planning also submitted a supporting landscape and restoration strategy which detailed what measures would be taken to preserve and enhance the existing trees and vegetation on site.
The Local Planning Authority concluded;
“The proposed engineering operation would accord with green belt policy objectives and the inclusion of mitigation measures through the agreed planning obligation and recommended conditions would ensure any potential harm in terms of visual, amenity and highway considerations would remain within acceptable parameters.”
Planning Permission was subsequently granted much to the delight of Risebridge Golf Centre.
11 March 2019