All
Please see Amber Valley Planning Department – Application for Synthetic Pitch at Belper Sports Centre:
Belper Sports Centre, without consultation with any other Sports Clubs, have applied for Planning Permission to convert the existing Redgras Pitch to a Synthetic Football Pitch, commonly known as a 3G Pitch. As we all know – this type of pitch (long fibres, fully filled with rubber crumb…) is fantastic for football (training only, no matches can be played on it…), it is dreadful for all other sports, including Hockey.
This is potentially a massively lost opportunity, to provide a synthetic pitch suitable for all sports (including football), within Belper…
All members of Belper Hockey Club are able (as Members affected by the decision), to visit the website (as above), put in the Application Number – AVA/2012/0890, click on “Make a Comment” and put a suitable comment that they feel fit.
I – in my opinion only, feel that this could be a hugely lost opportunity to put a good quality, sand-dressed pitch (ala St Benedict’s), within Belper – for the benefit of All Sports, not just football, who would also be able to use it (NB – 3G can only be used for football training, not matches…)
Can we circulate this amongst as many members as possible, to try and get some momentum. If we do nothing, they will get the permission and the opportunity will be lost. If we try and lobby AVBC, then England Hockey (Simon Dowdy, our Rep who has suggested this…) will be able to affect the decision, and we may be able to help provide a legacy to Sport within Belper…
Over to you…
Roger Carter
