Dipre: 'Victory for common sense'

Carshalton Athletic chairman Paul Dipre has called the lifting of floodlight ban on the Ryman League club's 3G pitch a "victory for common sense".

The Robins chairman was celebrating this weekend after the Planning Inspectorate allowed two appeals by the Ryman South club against a decision by Sutton Council to limit use of their facilities.

As well as being awarded costs, all restrictions on the use of floodlights at Colston Avenue have been removed as a result of the decision and the club now has permanent permission to use the pitch until 10.00pm from Monday to Saturday and until 8pm on Sundays.

In a statement on their website hailing hte news, Dipre said: “This is a victory for common sense and the many local people who will now be able to use the facility. Carshalton Athletic has now been successful in all four appeals against planning committee decisions, and compensated for all costs from all four appeals, running into many tens of thousand of pounds.

“The costs to the public purse has been enormous, a complete waste of residents money which could be better spent. Instead the public's money has been spent on trying to prevent children playing sport. The Council officers negotiated a good deal with me on behalf of local residents but it was ignored by Councillors who rejected the Council officers' advice.”

He added: "The Carshalton Athletic 3G has been a huge success for the club and the hundreds of local people who use it each week. It is in use every day, almost constantly, and complaints about floodlights and noise have been almost non existent – with just three complaints from two residents over the last 12 months."

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