Policy EBC1: Community, Sports & Recreation Facilities
- The Neighbourhood Plan identifies the following community, sports and recreation facilities (see Map 16 and Table 8) for the application of national policies on proposals for new and improved community facilities and public service infrastructure, the retention of key community facilities and public service infrastructure, and development affecting existing recreation facilities:
Type of facility Identified locations Community Halls Cumnor Village Hall
Cumnor Old School
Dean Court Community Centre
United Reformed Church Hall
Farmoor Village HallCommunity Play Areas The Closes Fitness Trail Area
Fogwell Road Fitness Trail & Play Park
The Glebe Play Park
Meadow Close Play Park
Mayfield Road Play Park
Kimmeridge Road Play Park
Kimmeridge Road/Seven Sisters Way Green Space
Pinnocks Way Play Area
Tilbury Lane Play AreaChurches St Michael’s Church
St Andrews Church
St Mary’s Church
United Reformed ChurchSports Pitches The Closes – Cumnor Minors Football Club
Fogwell Road – Botley Boys & Girls Football Club
Park Field – Cumnor Cricket ClubAllotments Tilbury Lane Allotments Recreational Facility Farmoor Reservoir Other Hill End Educational Outdoor Centre
Development proposals which would affect the use of the identified facilities in Part A of the policy will be determined against the provisions of Policies DP8 (Community Halls, Community Play Areas, Churches and Allotments) and DP34 (Sports Pitches) of the Local PlanDevelopment proposals to change the use of part of a community, sports & recreation facility (as identified in Part A of the policy) that is surplus to requirements will be supported where they will not undermine the overall viability and importance of the community, sports & recreation facility concerned.
- The policy
supplements and refines existing development plan policiesonidentifies community, sports and recreation facilitiesby identifying those facilitiesto which the relevant national decision-making policies(currently HC4, HC6 and HC7) should applyand by seeking to ensure that the long-term potential value of land in community use is not lost without good reason.National provision HC4 supports the provision of new and improved community facilities and public service infrastructure, HC6 seeks to avoid the loss of key community facilities and public service infrastructure, whilst HC7 seeks to avoid the loss of existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, other formal and informal play space and allotments (which also reflects paras. 88 and 98 of the 2024 NPPF). In additional to existing development plan policies which protect these facilities and encourage new facilities, the policy also allows for a partial change of use of a facility, it this is intended to help secure its longerterm viability. This may be an important way of putting to use space that is no longer needed, but which can make a financial contribution to sustaining the facility. However, such changes must be shown not to undermine the community functions of the use. Plainly different proposals will have different effects on the facility concerned, and will need to be supported by evidence which is proportionate both to the facility itself, and to the proposal concerned. However, in general terms any such proposals should demonstrate the circumstances which have arisen to generate the planning application, the extent to which the former use of that part of the premises is now being delivered through another facility, and the ongoing ability of the substantive part of the facility to continue to provide community facilities to the local population in the event that the proposal is approved.