THE chairman of a tennis club has said the local parish council is putting a "restraint of trade" on the club after plans for new floodlights on its courts were rejected.

As previously reported, in February this year 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".

READ MORE: Old Basing Tennis Club ask council to let them install floodlights

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".

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

Since then the club's chairman has also spoken out and told the Gazette he is "extremely frustrated".

Nigel Hatt said: "The lighting design is energy efficient, using one of the most sustainable products on the market, with minimal light spillage. There will be no impact on the semi-rural character of the village. There will be no additional stretch on parking because fewer people venture out during darker evenings, and there is still a limit on how many people can use three courts at once.

"The parish council has failed to give a meaningful reason for blocking the installation and has exceeded its remit by straying into planning issues which have been resolved by the Borough’s planning officers."

He continued: "In blocking the installation of floodlights, the parish council is imposing a restraint of trade on the club which limits its ability to recruit new members and may in due course result in a reduction in members.

SEE ALSO: Tadley pool: Council promises to work with Serco to resolve concerns

"It is in everybody's interests that the club should be financially viable, so the action of the parish council is counterproductive and serves neither the interests of the club nor the parish council. It should be noted that the club is financially independent of the parish council and is funding the lights itself, there is no use of public funds." 

He told the Gazette that it is likely the club will have to wait until the finalisation of the local plan and neighbourhood plan until they can reach a compromise with the council, including introducing a 10pm curfew for the use of the lights.

Old Basing and Lychpit Parish Council refused to comment.