Chairman's Blog - May 2021

RAYNES PARK VALE FOOTBALL CLUB 

The Club has operated an airstream van on their premises since last autumn, selling drinks and snacks. This is to generate funds to improve their ground and facilities.  

This spring it grew into an Artisans’ Market open at weekends, with stalls selling such things as pizza, bread, fish, and honey. This is operated by a local commercial enterprise.

The Club is currently refurbishing its clubroom to make it “more appealing to small wedding parties and club diners” and building a decked area outside. They say that the outside area will “only be open until 10pm” and that there will be no amplified music, just “nice individuals and duets”.  They plan to make an additional application for a licence to sell alcohol, with very extensive opening hours being proposed, for every day of the week.  Although the club already has a members’ licence, it appears that they intend to sell alcohol to the public as well.

 There is no doubt, judging from the number of people now clutching coffee mugs as they walk over Cannon Hill Common, that the coffee bar has been a welcome innovation. 

Also, the weekend Artisans’ Market has attracted some 50 people at a time. But many residents will be anxious at the new proposals on what has been a quiet playing field until now, and the possibility of noise, and cars parking late into the night. 

The Club is on Prince George’s Playing Fields, which is Metropolitan Open Land. Planning Controls are in force restricting the number of boot sales and other commercial events, in order to maintain the open character of the land.  It would appear that the maximum number of permitted uses is being reached, and we will be asking the planning department to enforce the existing controls, which were issued in 2009. 

While we would encourage the Club to extend its clubroom and provide food and drinks for its own members and their guests, we would want the opening hours to be carefully limited, and we will be opposing any licence to sell alcohol to the general public.

Update 18 May 2021: The Football Club has now re-applied for a late night licence to sell alcohol on and off the premises, provide refreshment and have live music, seven days a week, until late at night, open to the general public. 

More information is here. Our Association has submitted an objection to the application, Our objection can be read here 

The deadline for objections is 26 May 2021. 

CAR THEFTS

One of the most prevalent crimes locally for a number of years has been the theft of catalytic converters. These contain valuable minerals worth many hundreds of pounds.  The police tell us that these can be removed within a few minutes but will be not be stolen if the converter has been marked, and a sticker to this effect is visible. The vehicles that have been identified as most at risk are: Toyota Prius (2004-15), Honda Jazz, Toyota Auris (2006-18), Lexus RX, and Honda CRV (except, my garage tells me, for the most recent model).

REDROW/TESCO APPEAL

No news yet regarding the Planning Inspector’s report! Please remember to keep checking this website and our Nextdoor Group for latest information.

John Elvidge