Leisure Needs

6.3 The Borough Council has an important role to play in meeting leisure needs, both of its residents and visitors. It has two ways of meeting this need - through its planning powers and through helping to put the Leisure and Cultural Strategy into practice. In carrying out these roles, it will be important to protect what is already provided as well as encouraging new facilities.

6.4 The borough, being centrally located in the East of England, is ideally situated to provide facilities of a regional significance. The West Suffolk Athletics Track hosts a number of regional and nationally important events and other sports and leisure governing bodies will be encouraged to continue this trend.

6.5 In considering proposals for new leisure facilities, the Borough Council will have regard to the tests set out in government guidance and seek to ensure that users can travel to them by environmentally sustainable means of travel. The facilities should also have a minimal impact on the environment and every opportunity should be made to make sure anything new fits in with existing facilities.

6.6 The joint provision and dual use of suitable leisure facilities is an efficient use of land and resources, and can increase the amount of facilities available and so is to be encouraged. Joint provision includes the planned provision of enhanced facilities, usually for education and community benefit, and dual use involves their regular use by those for whom they were not primarily intended. This provision is generally made at schools. The availability of other public and private facilities should, however, not be ignored and the Borough Council would wish to encourage their wider use.

6.7 Golf courses and ancillary facilities: With changes in agricultural economies and practice, an increasing emphasis on diversification of farming activities and incomes, and changing recreational demands, there are opportunities for the use of land for golf courses.

6.8 The potential impact of golf courses in the countryside is great, due to the large areas of land affected, ancillary developments which are usually necessary for their operation, associated developments, landscaping and traffic generation. It is important to protect the rural character of the countryside and wildlife habitats and it is recognised that some areas will not be suitable for such development, where the quality of the landscape is such that it should be kept unchanged. Golf courses do not necessarily fit comfortably in all environments, and proposals will be carefully assessed to ensure that the artificial appearance of a golf course is not superimposed on an existing traditional landscape. Proposals for new golf courses are likely to require an Environmental Impact Assessment to accompany the application in accordance with the Regulations.

POLICY L1: GOLF COURSES AND RELATED FACILITIES

Golf courses and related facilities will not be permitted in locations where they would have an adverse impact on the landscape, sites of ecological interest or historic sites.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate that the design, layout and new planting within the scheme assimilates with the existing landscape and creates new wildlife habitats. Extensive appropriate planting will be required.

Clubhouses, car parking and ancillary facilities must be of a high standard of design and sympathetic use must be made of materials traditional to the area. Such facilities must be discreetly located within the landscape and where possible, use must be made of existing buildings and facilities.

Applicants will be expected to assess the environmental impact of any floodlighting scheme. Proposals which give rise to intrusive floodlighting will not be permitted.

Regard should be had to the content of the Floodlighting Planning Guidance and any subsequent replacement Supplementary Planning Document.