Rugby club opposes new homes over ball strike fear

The proposed site is next to club's pitches

A rugby club in Leicestershire is opposing plans to build houses next to its ground over concerns balls might strike the new homes.

Developer Davidsons Homes has been given outline planning permission to build 87 properties on a field next to South Leicester Rugby Club in Wigston.

However, club chairman Wayne Marsden told an Oadby and Wigston Borough Council planning meeting on Thursday that balls were often kicked into the site during matches.

He said fencing, proposed by the developers to stop ball strikes, was in "totally the wrong place".

The developer has proposed five lengths of fencing between the pitches and new homes

"We already have a four-metre hedgerow and the balls already go over that," Marsden said.

"Six to eight times a game our balls go over the hedgerow. That's going to hit a house, hit a car and who is going to pay for that?"

Mr Marsden said there was already housing on one side of ground and he did not want to see problems with that repeated with the new homes.

Planning committee member councillor Naveed Alam said he shared the club's concern.

He said: "I have to admit when I saw this application, and a rugby club in the middle of a housing estate, I had images of projectiles going through kitchen windows."

Mr Marsden told the meeting some residents near the ground already trespassed onto it.

"They treat it as their own park," he said.

"It causes trespass, security issues, vandalism. They have golf games on it and barbecues.

"There's a park only 50 yards away and nobody seems to use it."

The council said there would be further talks with the developer about fencing

Committee chairman Lee Bentley told the meeting council officials would have discussions about fencing with the developers at a later stage to try to find a solution to the ball strike issue.

He said: "The development should not impact the rugby club in any way as far as possible and as is reasonably practical."

Other concerns were raised about flooding at the site but planning officers said there were no grounds to refuse the application because the 3.2-hectare (7.9-acre) site had been allocated as land for housing by the authority.

Steve Lewis-Roberts, representing Davidsons, said the company would widen the access route to the rugby club as part of the plan.

He said: "Davidsons are looking forward to delivering an attractive, high quality housing scheme which will help meet the council's housing requirements."