Town Planning & Urban Design Ltd.

Securing its future as part of a strategy to grow participation in rugby football union, the Club - (established in 1951) - was looking to make better use of its clubhouse, to generate income to develop its sporting ambitions, including returning its 1st XV to the RFU’s national leagues.

​

I was brought in (just as I had been in 1997/1998 for a project to floodlight the 2nd XV pitch) to submit a planning application to secure flexible mixed use of the clubhouse, including a ground floor space for a children’s day nursery and extension to the main 1st floor function space, by converting a pair of under-used squash courts.

​

Externally, elevational changes, a new spectator balcony that would oversail storage space and an outdoor, enclosed playspace created for the day nursery were proposed.

​

Finally, an external underused council MUGA play court was to be resurfaced to form a qualitative enhancement of that playing surface to enable rugby skills training when grass pitches were waterlogged/unplayable.

​

It was possible to convince Sport England and Havant Borough Council that loss of the squash courts - (whose use and membership had been in decline for some time) - would be compensated for by the qualitative improvements of the MUGA and by preparing an assessment of remaining squash facilities in the locality.

​

Planning permission was granted under Officer delegated powers without needing to report the matter to elected Members.

​

Testimonial from client:

​

“Happy to support your business.”