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Search the Public Notice PortalAmbitious proposals to transform the sporting facilities in a growing Somerset town have been given the go-ahead by planning officers.
Somerton Recreation Ground comprises 17 acres (nearly seven hectares) of green space at the western edge of Somerton, sandwiched between the B3153 Langport Road, the Patch Meadows estate and the St Cleers residential area.
The site currently caters for a wider range of sports, including bowls, football, rugby and tennis, with Somerton Sports and Social Club providing a venue for a wide range of events.
The Somerton Recreation Ground Trust put forward outline plans in May to completely reconfigure the site, with the sports club being demolished and replaced by a new pavilion.
Somerset Council has now approved these proposals, blowing the starting whistle on the redevelopment of the area - with more detailed plans for each element expected to come forward early in the new year.
Under the approved plans, a new pavilion (covering around 1,200 sq m) will be constructed in the centre of the site, with the existing play area being repositioned to the west.
The pavilion will include eight changing rooms (which will be delivered in line with both FA and RFU standards), along with a gym, a café with serving hatch, a physiotherapy room, office space and flexible event space with a bar and kitchen.
The existing sports club will be completed demolished to create more parking within the site, with a total of 144 spaces being provided at the secondary entrance off Gassons Lane.
Up to 30 parking spaces will be retained at the primary Langport Road entrance, with an overflow parking area being provided at the northern edge of the site, near the existing football pitches.
To provide this additional space, the tennis club and courts will be moved to the south, with four courts in total being made available to members and visitors.
A new indoor multi-use sports hall will be delivered in the centre of the sites, along with a new barn to store maintenance equipment along with a tractor and lawnmower, replacing the existing shipping containers.
Neither the existing bowling green nor any of the football and rugby pitches at the western end of the site will need to be relocated as part of these changes.
A spokesperson for Orme Architecture (representing the trust) stated in May: "The site layout has been shaped by a single, overarching principle: relocating the sports pavilion to the centre of the site to provide convenient, shared access for all clubs and users.
"At present, parking provision is limited, resulting in overspill parking along the surrounding roads - particularly during football and rugby match days, and other events.
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"The proposed increase in parking will help alleviate this issue, while existing highway access points will be retained."
The council approved the plans through the delegated powers of its planning officers, rather than a public decision by its planning committee south (which handles major or contentious applications within the former South Somerset area).
Senior planning officer Louisa Brown said in her written report: "The proposal represents the comprehensive redevelopment and enhancement of an established recreational facility that serves the local community.
"The principle of development is considered acceptable, with the proposed improvements having the potential to provide modernised sports and community facilities, increased tennis provision, enhanced parking and improved accessibility.
"Sport England has raised no objection to the principle of the development, and specialist consultees are satisfied that matters relating to highways, biodiversity and drainage can be addressed through the imposition of planning conditions."
A reserved matters application, which will provide more details on the design, layout and phasing of the different elements, is expected to come forward by the spring of 2027.
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