Council rejects plans to build new business park
Tewkesbury Borough Council refused plans to redevelop 16 acres of land into an aerospace facility.
Council rejects plans for new business park
Dowty Sports and Social Club has been operating for 66 years
A local council has turned down proposals to convert sports pitches into a business park.
Tewkesbury Borough Council rejected plans to redevelop 16 acres of land in Staverton, Gloucestershire, into a new facility for aerospace company Safran.
The site has been home to the Dowty Sports and Social Club for 66 years, but the club has gone into liquidation and is set to shut on 30 September.
Mike Woodham, head coach of Dowty Judo Club, which has had its own purpose-built dojo at the site since 1981, called the situation "really sad".
Woodham said the judo club had secured a temporary venue in Bishops Cleeve, but higher costs meant it could now only hold one session a week.
"Because we've got a permanent club, we have people going up at weekends to do their own stuff. That's gone now," he said.
He added that losing the dojo would also mean losing part of the club's history.
"We've got photographs from competitions, including the national championships in 1980, we're going to lose all that, which is really sad."
The Ashville Group had plans to redevelop the site into an aerospace facility
The land was purchased four years ago by the Ashville Group, which kept the club's lease in place but intended to turn the area into a business park.
Dowty staff said they were driven to liquidate the company because Ashville had not communicated clearly about its plans for the site or whether a lease extension would be approved.
Ashville said the development could generate up to 1,000 jobs, and its plans included replacement sports facilities for those affected by the proposed scheme.
But Woodham said the clubs at the site had never had a "proper commitment" that this would definitely happen.
Ian Greaves said Ashville had not repaired football pitches after an excavation
Earlier this year, as part of an archaeological dig required for the planning application, Ashville excavated nine of the site's 10 football pitches.
Ian Greaves, treasurer of Churchdown Panthers FC, said that although Ashville had promised to fill in the trenches, the pitches are still unplayable.
He said the council's refusal of planning permission was a "lose-lose" situation for the club because "we still don't have any pitches to play on".
Even though Dowty has gone into liquidation, Greaves said he hoped the football club would still be able to use the site.
"We're talking with Ashville, and we're very hopeful that we'll get our pitches repaired," he said.
Councillor Sarah Hands, lead member for planning at Tewkesbury Borough Council, said the committee rejected the plans because of concerns about the impact on the green belt, highway safety and community facilities.
"The council remains committed to supporting sustainable development that meets local needs while protecting the surroundings that are important to residents and businesses," she said.
The BBC has contacted Ashville for comment.