Lichfield Sports Club in Eastern Avenue was granted permission almost 10 years ago for three new pitches, an extension to its existing pavilion and additional car park spaces. The club has now requested a variation to one of the planning permission conditions to enable the bowling green to be added alongside the car park extension. The variation was recommended for approval by Lichfield District Council officers ahead of Monday’s planning committee. Councillor Hugh Ashton said on Monday (June 30): “It’s a bowling green in a sports facility – it seems a natural extension of facilities. I recommend approval.” Councillor Diane Evans said: “I think this is an important development and it is something that is needed within Lichfield. It is good for people’s health and these kind of facilities are necessary.” But Councillor Jane Mears said: “I wholly support all forms of sport. I play hockey at Lichfield Hockey Club. “The car park has been extended because the club was at capacity before they doubled the size of the building. The car park is also painted up to be tennis courts. “When you’ve got cricket and hockey tournaments going on, there isn’t enough parking, and now they’ve doubled the size of the building to facilitate events like birthdays and christenings going on there as well. When they build the football pitches, they’re going to need the space where they want to put a bowling green to put the parking – it’s natural to extend the parking adjacent to what is already there. “On top of that, there’s nowhere for the machinery to be stored that will be needed to maintain the bowling pitch. It’s a little bit hopeful when you take into account the plans that are already underway on the previous planning application.” A report to the committee said the bowling green is proposed within the area originally approved for outdoor sports. It added: “(It) would be modest in scale, level with the surrounding land, and visually consistent with the wider sporting use of the site. “It would be laid out adjacent to the clubhouse and surrounded by a low boundary fence, not resulting in visual intrusion. The design is considered appropriate in this context and the originally approved football/ rugby pitches and hockey pitch can still be accommodated within the site. “The site is well set back from neighbouring dwellings on Eastern Avenue and other nearby residential areas. The nature of the use—outdoor bowls—is quiet and unlikely to result in any undue noise, disturbance, or overlooking (and) there is no external lighting proposed.”