By Andy DevoLee Cricket Club Captain
With the new cricket season just around the corner, it’s now looking sadly as if our outdoor nets could be in jeopardy.
Practice nets are essential to the development of young cricketers’ skills as they progress from softball cricket on Friday evenings to the ‘real thing’ against other teams.
As part of our commitment to developing our youngsters, we reinstated outdoor nets at the club last summer. We were very fortunate to receive a generous grant from The Lords Taverners to help with the costs – nets don’t come cheap as they require a concrete base for the matting to be laid on. Unfortunately the existing base was cracked and had to be replaced. When the nets were finally installed (and thanks to all those who helped in their construction), the children began to reap the benefits. We have 148 children in our Colts section and about 45 of these were playing hardball cricket. It was a pleasure for all involved in the club to see how well they performed in the league, winning the majority of their matches.
Unfortunately towards the end of the season we were contacted by Chiltern District Council. A neighbour had objected to the nets because he said they were too close to his property and we were obliged to apply for planning permission. In fact we had discussed the matter with him during construction and I thought we had appeased his concerns.
Having applied for planning permission we awaited the Planning Committee’s verdict at the meeting on 25th January. The Case Officer had recommended refusal so we felt it was necessary to demonstrate to the committee how much support there was for the nets in the local area. As well as a huge number of e-mails from parents, committee members were treated to a show of support outside the Council Offices by about 50 placard-waving children and parents.
Jon Swain spoke on behalf of the club and emphasized that the nets were merely being restored to the position they had occupied some years before. The meeting also heard from the original objector (supported by a second neighbour), who claimed that noise from the nets was ruining his enjoyment of the summer evenings.
The committee deferred a decision pending a visit to the site, but on 15th February it came down 8-5 in favour of refusal. This was very disappointing for everyone connected with the club. We will of course look at an appeal but it is still a little depressing that hundreds of local people were in favour of keeping the nets and two people were not. Democracy is a strange thing.
This issue goes to the very heart of what English village life is all about. Do we want all our local facilities like schools, shops, pubs, scout packs and cricket clubs to thrive? Or do we want people moving into the area and objecting to things that have gone on for decades because they don’t want children making noise or people socialising?
What next? No Flower Show because of the noise of people enjoying themselves?
Let us know what you think in the next Newsletter: Ed.