MEMBERS of a Basingstoke tennis club are calling on the parish council to reconsider the decision to reject plans for news floodlights on its courts.

In February this year, the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) granted permission for eight 10-metre-high columns and 12 LED floodlights to be installed at the Old Basing and Lychpit Recreation Ground after the Old Basing Tennis Club submitted a planning application in May 2022.

At a full council meeting held on Tuesday, March 7, the landowners Old Basing and Lychpit Parish Council voted to uphold their objections to plans, leaving the club without the floodlights that they say are "desperately needed".

During the meeting, Cllr David Whiter said he was concerned that an increase in tennis could cause parking problems in the summer when "parking is already stretched".

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While Cllr Kate Tuck said the floodlights would impact the "semi-rural character of the village".

Speaking after the decision the president of the club Mike Sant said: "We are in the 21st century now and modern floodlights allow sport to be played at times that were never possible before, providing better use of the facilities throughout the year and, even more importantly, allowing the coaching of juniors after school in the autumn and winter.

"I hope that the Old Basing Parish Council will now abandon the entrenched positions they have adopted and reconsider this matter with an open mind."

Treasurer Jane Reap added: "As a club, we were shocked, dismayed and upset by the Old Basing and Lychpit Parish Council’s recent decision. When we started the project two years ago, we consulted them about the process we needed to go through and we followed that process to the letter.

"Since that decision, we have invested hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds in developing the lighting design and completing the planning application."

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She said the club's next steps will be asking the parish council to reach a "compromise that will satisfy them".

BDBC's deputy chief executive Rebecca Emmett said: “A planning application for floodlights was submitted by Old Basing Tennis Club in May 2022.

“The Old Basing Parish Council registered its objection to the application but after consideration of all of the information, the local planning authority was satisfied that the proposal was acceptable in planning terms. The application was therefore approved, subject to conditions, on Wednesday 8 February 2023.”

Old Basing and Lychpit Parish Council have been contacted for comment but have not yet responded.