Fresh bid for Green Belt fishing business provokes objections
A FRESH attempt is being made to set up a new fishing business in a Rotherham village - after a previous application was rejected because of its Green Belt location.
This time, the application cites the treatment of another application to create a fishing lake with 15 anglers’ pods, intended to be used for night fishing.
A report by a council planning officer into that application was that the development did not “represent inappropriate development in the Green Belt.”
The new application is to create a new fishing pond and ancillary fishing pods, with landscaping, on land off Hooton Lane, Laughton-en-le-Morthen.
However, it has already run into trouble with objections from a neighbour who fears noise nuisance from the development and from the area’s parish council.
The site is on the edge of Slade Hooton and the fishing business would share a drive which serves existing stables.
Proposals for the site include six fishing pods in addition to the new pond, with “mitigation planting” to make existing vegetation around part of the site more substantial.
Planning application documents point to an increased interest - post-lockdown in spending time outdoors and rise in both the sales of fishing licences and numbers taking up night fishing.
Changeover days and and departure times would be staggered, with customers buying time at the site on an hourly basis.
The application states that fishing pods were accepted at nearby Leger Lakes, which is also in the Green Belt and states: “No overall harm is predicted to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness.”
The application has been made by Russ Lee, who lives at the location.
One neighbour has already told Rotherham Council: “The development would likely result in significant noise, including music, raised voices, and shouting from the fishing and clamping areas.”
Laughton-en-le-Morthern Parish Council has asked that the application be refused, on the grounds of inappropriate development in the Green Belt, a detrimental effect on the openness of the Green Belt, a negative impact on the character and appearance of the site, increased noise, detrimental impact on wildlife and views from footpaths being affected.
A decision on the application will be made later.