Rye Tennis Club’s planning application to build indoor tennis courts has just moved a step closer with the publication of the ecological assessment for the site on Military Road.
The report, produced by Marsh Environmental based in Hythe, assessed whether the extension of the tennis club, which includes the building of three indoor courts, would have an adverse effect on protected species of birds, bats, great crested newts and water voles.
The results of their survey found that both great crested newts and water vole were absent from the area but their investigation did find evidence of slow worms and they have recommended a buffer zone be created between the reptile habitats and the development.
Where they did express a concern was in relation to the local bird population and advised that any clearance activity be done outside nesting season, but their main concerns relate to the proposed external lighting and the negative impact on roosting birds and foraging bats. They recommend that any external lighting is carefully sited to avoid excessive illumination and, in addition, lighting should not be directed towards the hedgerows or facing in an upward direction. The full ecological report can be found here.
In a related development, East Sussex County Council have confirmed that additional information has been submitted by the developers to allay their concerns regarding the capacity of the proposed drainage system, surface water displacement and drainage arrangements for what will be a very large building. They have, though, insisted that prior to the new indoor tennis courts being used, evidence must be supplied showing that the drainage system has been constructed ‘as per the final agreed detailed drainage designs’.
The full planning application, and related correspondence dating back to 2016, can be found here.