Allocations: Schedule of modifications

I write on behalf of the committee of Rayleigh Town Sports and Social Club (RTSSC) to object to the deletion in section MM28, which begins with the words "It should be located within the green buffer zone to the west of the site". Until now all information about the proposed relocation of the club and discussions between the Council and club representatives have been on the basis that the club would be relocated within the green buffer zone to the west of its existing location north of London Road. The proposed relocation of the club has been explained by the committee to club members on this basis and it has helped the membership to accept the proposed move, albeit reluctantly. The new wording removes the certainty that the club will be relocated to the west of the current site. The club committee believes that this deletion would undermine the validity of previous public consultations and the discussions that took place between the council and the club, and the acceptance of the move by club members.
There appears to be no suitable alternative to a site to the west of the club's current location which would keep the club close to its existing membership and allow the extension of the replacement RTSSC site to meet additional outdoor playing pitch provision in accordance with representation 28475 by Sport England in the ASD pre submission document. Sport England envisages that the existing clubs on the RTSSC site are best placed to meet the additional demand for playing pitches that will arise from the new housing development. The RTSSC committee does not see any similarly large area south of London Road Rayleigh that is unaffected by the overhead lines from electricity pylons. To move the club away from the London Road area would be unacceptable to the club committee. The proposed new wording to be inserted would allow the council to introduce alternative areas on which to relocate the club, and it is the view of the club's committee that the reference to relocating the club within the green buffer zone to the west of its current site should be retained.