Marlborough Town Council
Marlborough Common
Formal applications have been submitted seeking permission for a new training area at Marlborough Common.
Applications have been submitted for permission to create a new training area at Marlborough Common (read the background here).
There are two stages to gaining permission because the proposed location of this training area is on common land.
The Town Council has applied for permission to the Secretary of State under the Commons Act (click here to skip to relevant section)
and
Marlborough Rugby Football Club has applied to Wiltshire Council for Planning Permission (click here to skip to relevant section).
This planning application will be considered at the Town Council Planning Committee meeting scheduled for Monday, 14 March (open the agenda here).
All related documents can be found at the end of this article. Skip to documents
The proposed training area is shaded red in this image
Public Notice - Application Under the Commons Act
Marlborough Town Council has applied to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for consent under Section 38 of the Commons Act 2006 to carry out restricted works on Marlborough Common. The Planning Inspectorate will decide the application on behalf of the Secretary of State.
The proposed works are:
To create a levelled area of 120m x 80m, with new topsoil and grass seed (estimated 6”/150mm) on the Frees Avenue side, adjacent to existing pitches.
The planting of a previously existing hedgerow along the Frees avenue side as part of mitigating biodiversity works and as a road safety measure along the border of the ‘training area’ parallel to Frees Avenue.
The work will take approximately one week to complete. Target implementation in late August/early September 2022.
During construction, the seeded area will be roped off to protect it as far as possible while establishing itself. (temporary)
Mitigating biodiversity work thereafter including implementing the habitat enhancements as described in the ecology report commissioned by Marlborough Town Council in order to mitigate any impact of the project on the biodiversity of The Common.
A copy of the application form and accompanying documents can be inspected at Marlborough Town Council, 5 High Street, Marlborough, SN8 1AA during normal office hours until 15 April 2022. A copy of the application form and accompanying documents may be obtained by writing to: Marlborough Town Council, 5 High Street, Marlborough, SN8 1AA, or downloaded at: https://www.marlborough-tc.gov.uk
Any representations should be sent in writing ON or BEFORE that date to The Planning Inspectorate, Commons Team at 3A Temple Quay House, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN or commonlandcasework@planninginspectorate.gov.uk .
Representations sent to The Planning Inspectorate cannot be treated as confidential. They will be copied to the applicant and possibly to other interested parties. To find out more about how the Planning Inspectorate uses and manages personal data, please go to the privacy notice.
Richard Spencer-Williams, Town Clerk
Marlborough Town Council, 5 High Street, Marlborough, SN8 1AA
Planning Application
Marlborough Rugby Football Club has applied for full planning permission (Ref. PL/2022/01618) for a training area for Marlborough Town Rugby Football Club at Frees Avenue, Marlborough. The Planning Application will be decided by Wiltshire Council. Comments can be made via the Public Register no later than 1 April 2022. https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0i3z000017SyJ5AAK/pl202201618
This planning application is on the agenda for the Planning Committee meeting scheduled for Monday, 14 March. https://www.marlborough-tc.gov.uk/images/your-council/Public_Planning_Agenda_14_March_2022.pdf
Background
February – March 2021: the Town Council ran a consultation about a request to create a new training area at Marlborough Common for the use of young rugby and football players. There were 1,584 replies and 66% of those who responded supported the proposal; 58% supported it when filtered to show replies from people whose postcodes showed they lived within the parish of Marlborough (and Manton). Read more about this consultation at https://www.marlborough-tc.gov.uk/news/news-articles/2402-common-consultation .
May 2021: botanical survey conducted.
December 2021: Full Town Council agreed the next steps (you can read the Minutes of this meeting in full at https://www.marlborough-tc.gov.uk/images/your-council/Approved_FTC_Mins_13_12_2021.pdf ).
RESOLVED: that Marlborough Town Council supports the Marlborough Rugby Football Club and Marlborough Youth Football Club’s request for a training area at the Frees Avenue site of Marlborough Common subject to:
a) That all the ‘Habitat Enhancements’ as stated in the ecology report are adhered to and carried out by Marlborough Town Council in conjunction with Marlborough Rugby Football Club and Marlborough Youth Football Club
b) That other than the £9,000 s106 allocation, MRFC and MYFC should pick up the remaining costs of the projected costs and financial risk of the construction phase of the project
c) The project itself (construction) would be the responsibility of MRFC and MYFC
d) The management and maintenance of any new area would be jointly shared between MRFC, MYFC and MTC in line with current practice
e) That a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ or ‘Agreement’ between Marlborough Town Council, MRFC and MYFC to the satisfaction of all parties stated, should be drawn up as a prerequisite of the MTC support for the Training Area prior to commencement of any proposed works, and that in this the needs of other Common users should be accounted for, and a reasonable timeframe for which the works should be completed
f) That MTC should approach the Planning Inspectorate under section 38 of the Commons Act 2006 as ‘landlords’ of the Common for approval, and MRFC and MYFC should be required to apply to Wiltshire Council for Planning Consent for their project
g) That MRFC/MYFC should be required to supply a project and site management plan prior to commencement of any works including a timeline, and overall risk assessment
Documents
Application form to Planning Inspectorate (Commons Act 2006)