News
Council threat to Golf course
Green space agreement overturned in favour of housing development
A LOCAL council has controversially put in place plans to convert an entire golf course into a housing estate.
The decision is so unpopular that nearly 100 protesters turned up to jeer the council, which has also been criticised by a prominent Conservative MP, when the decision was made.
Bracknell Forest Council even received 322 letters about its decision to lift a covenant protecting Blue Mountain Golf and Conference Centre’s land from development - of which 321 objected to the proposal. The remaining letter was neutral. This was in addition to a petition containing 2,300 names that opposed the plan.
Bracknell Forest Council, Bracknell Town Council and the then-Berkshire County Council signed an agreement in 1990 that the land would remain a green space for at least the next 125 years.
However, 34 of the 40 voting councillors at Bracknell Forest Council have agreed to waive the agreement so that 450 houses, two schools and a football pitch may be built in the golf club’s place.
Local MP Adam Afriyie, who has been talked of as a future Conservative Party leader in the national press, said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the “insensitive” decision, and wrote to the council to express his opposition.
“There is, of course, a need for some local development, and this is often welcomed by residents, but it is important to ensure that our beautiful area is not under threat. This includes sites such as the Blue Mountain golf course,” he said.
The council initially said it had received no letter from Mr Afriyie, but later apologised when it transpired that it had. However, the letter had no bearing on its decision.
Blue Mountain is operated by Crown Golf. Matthew Lynwood, the company’s property director, said that the golf club will still be around for many more years. “There is still an extensive planning process to go through,” he said. “Realistically, any development - if it proceeds - remains years off.”
“The planning process involves the submitting of formal applications, undertaking consultations with local residents and placing specific and detailed proposals before the planning committee for approval. Ecology, traffic, infrastructure, design and other surveys will all need to be undertaken to accompany an application.”
“We have a long term lease over the site with our landlord and fully expect that the substantial planning challenges which Bracknell Forest Council will face, against what is likely to be strong local opposition, will extend this process over many years to come.”
James Elster, general manager at Blue Mountain Golf & Conference Centre, added: “We have a lot of support from the local community and, as a popular part of that community, our message to our customers and supporters is simple: any change is years ahead.”
6 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
Murrayfield to get Desso pitch
SRU announce plans for £3.3 million investment in the Murrayfield stadium pitch
THE Scottish Rugby Union has announced that it is set to invest in a new hybrid grass pitch for Murrayfield in time for the 2014- 15 season.
The current surface at Scotland’s national stadium has received heavy criticism in recent months and it has been suffering from the effects of damage to roots caused by parasitic nematodes since before the autumn internationals.
The SRU used garlic to combat the nematodes initially but it has now confirmed that a new Desso Grassmaster hybrid grass pitch, which is reinforced by millions of artificial turf fibres, will be installed later in the spring.
“We are doing this primarily because this hybrid pitch is widely recognised as the best grass surface in the sporting world, and we all want to see the Murrayfield playing surface restored to the pristine condition for which it is renowned,” said SRU director of management services Mark Laidlaw.
“We are making this significant investment because, as we’ve said previously, we are concerned at the problems our pitch and others within the UK and beyond have experienced of late and feel that a reinforced surface is now required to meet the demands of professional rugby.
“We have been affected by a parasitic infection this season and the challenges of keeping Murrayfield accessible in probably the most challenging rugby climate in the northern hemisphere.”
The same pitch technology is used at both Twickenham and the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and further afield at Newlands in Cape Town, the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth and the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
The WRU also revealed in December that it will be installing a Desso pitch at the Millennium Stadium and the cost of that surface is thought to be around £3.3 million.
The SRU has said that the new pitch is the “biggest single investment” in Murrayfield since the stadium was reconstructed in 1994 and director of commercial operations, communications and public affairs, Dominic McKay, says he hopes it will also prove attractive to decision- makers outside of rugby.
“This is an investment that will safeguard international rugby on Murrayfield’s hallowed pitch, but will also enable us to be in the market seeking out major sporting events to bring to our stadium,” he said.
UK Pesticide Guide 2014 - out now!
Full of up-to-date info - and two CPD points into the bargain
THE UK Pesticide Guide 2014, jointly published by BCPC and CAB International, is the perfect planning tool for guiding you on responsible pesticide use this coming spraying season. Buying the book also means two CPD points can be earned for BASIS members.
The database that is used to create the book is also available as a web-based subscription service -
plantprotection.co.uk. Being online means more frequent updating is possible. It is also searchable and contains far more information.
“The new web based format, introduced in 2012, is much easier to use than the previous version and I thoroughly recommend it,” advises the UK Pesticide Guide’s editor Martin Lainsbury.
There is still uncertainty from European Regulations on many essential pesticides currently in use, but the new guide - and the associated web-based resource - provide the most comprehensive and current information to keep you on the right track during the spraying season.
“This year sees the first use of penthiopyrad mixtures for disease control,” says Martin.
“On the other hand,
we see the departure of flusilazole mixtures so, what we gain with one hand, we lose with the other. This edition lists fourteen new active ingredient profiles, countering the sixteen profiles no longer listed in the main section of the book.”
“Many of the products have been issued with revised expiry dates and hundreds of new Extension of Authorisation for Minor Uses (EAMUs),” explains Martin. ”Each active ingredient profile classifies the mode of action, which is important for managing the risk of resistance. And, with products being lost from the marketplace, this guide will help identify what is still legal to use and what must be disposed of safely from pesticide stores.”
Copies of The UK Pesticide Guide 2014 are now available priced £47.50 from: BCPC Publications Sales, 7 Omni Business Centre, Omega Park, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 2QD UK. Credit cards are accepted. Secure orders can also be placed online from the BCPC website on
www.bcpc.org/shop. To subscribe to the web-based resource, priced £65 per year, visit
www.plantprotection.co.uk.
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