Bridgend Tennis Club has been granted permission to install an inflatable dome (similar to the one in the image above) between 1st October-1st April.
Bridgend Council’s planning committee (which you can watch here) discussed the application yesterday.
The heated inflatable dome will enable coaching to continue during colder months. It’ll cover the equivalent area of two tennis courts and will be 11-12 metres high. The dome is reportedly being funded by a grant from the Lawn Tennis Association.
Nearby residents objected to the proposal. The report (pdf) cites concerns about the height of the dome, expected noise from equipment, existing issues with traffic along Church Road/Merthyr Mawr Road and disappointment that the tennis club hadn’t consulted with residents beforehand.
Cllr. Lyn Walters (Con, Oldcastle) also objected to possible light pollution, with new floodlights already said to cause problems.
Planning officers said that while the tennis club’s failure to discuss the application with residents is “disappointing” it’s not a factor as the development is small enough not to require formal public consultation.
During the meeting, Cllr. Norah Clarke (Ind, Nottage) asked whether the conditions could be changed so that the dome would be a less intrusive colour (the domes are usually bright white).
Meanwhile, Cllr. Keith Edwards (Ind, Maesteg East) wanted assurances the dome would be properly anchored so it doesn’t pose a danger in high winds.
Planning officers said the tennis club sits in a “bowl” and the prevailing winds are from the southwest, so there’s an element of natural protection anyway. There will also be minimum requirements to meet regarding fixings and anchors. The dome itself will also be relatively heavy.
If the dome wasn’t secured to the ground in some way, councillors were told it wouldn’t require planning consent as it wouldn’t count as a permanent building.
On the colour issue, councillors agreed to a new condition which would allow officers to negotiate a different colour if that’s possible and practical.
The application was unanimously approved subject to conditions.
