Harraby redevelopment plans unveiled
A Carlisle sports centre can be refurbished after the planning application was approved by officers at Cumberland Council.
The application was submitted by Cumberland Council and it was for the Harraby Sports Centre at Harraby Community Campus in Edgehill Road.
The work will involve the refurbishment of two existing 3G artificial grass pitches (AGPs).
In addition, there will be new perimeter fencing, a new hardstanding spectator area, storage container and replacement LED floodlighting.
According to the application, one of the pitches measures 106m by 70m, while the other measures 66m by 37m and it will be reduced to 61m by 34.8m.
The decision to approve the application, subject to conditions, was made on Tuesday (August 11). According to the planning officer’s report, the site forms part of the wider Harraby Community Campus and provides a range of community, leisure, educational and sporting facilities serving Harraby and the wider Carlisle area.
It states: “The sports centre is an established community sports facility and includes an indoor sports hall, full-sized 11v11 3G AGP, a smaller 7v7 AGP, outdoor court areas and a 1km cycle circuit.
“The facility supports a range of sports including football, netball, badminton, basketball, futsal and cycling.
“The surrounding area is characterised by residential development, community uses, education-related facilities and associated open space.”
According to the report, Sport England was consulted on the application. It adds: “In considering proposals for other indoor or outdoor sport facilities on playing field, Sport England will not object to such proposals if they are considered to meet our exception of the Playing Fields Policy.
“Sport England is satisfied that the proposal meets Exception E5 of its Playing Fields Policy and accordingly, Sport England does not wish to raise an objection to this application.”
The report concludes: “The proposals would be acceptable in principle. The scale and design of the proposals would be acceptable and, subject to the imposition of conditions, they would not have an adverse impact on residential amenity, highway safety, drainage or biodiversity.
“In all aspects, the proposals are considered to be compliant with the objectives of the relevant adopted local plan policies.”