I fight fearlessly for my constituents against inappropriate planning applications, so I am delighted to present this petition on behalf of residents against a tennis club application. Of course, the club has the right to enhance its members' enjoyment of leisure facilities that they may from time to time choose to use. However, that right falls well below the rights of residents to a decent quality of life without disturbance to them and to wildlife, the massive parking and other problems that would be caused and the need to stop bad development alongside the beautiful and sensitive Hadleigh Castle country park green belt. I sincerely congratulate each and every one of the residents who have signed this petition to protect their environment.

The petition states:

The Petition of Darryl Godbold, Trish Lepulelei, local residents and others,

Declares that the proposed development at the Hadleigh Tennis Club should be rejected because the new and much larger building, pathway and proposed new uses of the club would bring unacceptable problems, including parking, inaccessibility for the emergency services, increase in hard surfaces, increased demands on insufficient foul and surface water drainage capacity, conflict with wildlife, and possible further encroachment onto the green belt following improper green belt encroachment a few years ago for a new driveway; further declares it would bring about an unacceptable intensification of use in this residential cul-de-sac, including a bar, social and fund raising functions; and further declares that previous planning conditions to avoid street parking difficulties have not been honoured.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to encourage Castle Point Borough Councillors, rather than officers, to consider this objection and Petition and to reject the application and to be held to account for their decision.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.

[P000435]