Plans to install 30 storage containers at Sudbury football club will degrade area, claim critics
AFC Sudbury has applied for planning permission to change the use of its land in Brundon Lane to house 30 dark green steel storage containers.
The club wants to use unused land to the north of the football ground bordered by Brundon Lane to provide containers for its own use and also to generate income for the club as self-storage units.
Plans for the site also include a new access driveway to be laid out around the perimeter of the club’s practice ground.
Sudbury Town Council has given its consent to the application, as has Suffolk County Council’s highways department, which says the proposal would not have an impact on congestion, safety or parking.
A number of people have objected to the plan, however, complaining that any change of use would be cause for great concern.
Ross Bentley, of Weavers Lane, said: “The area is widely regarded as the jewel in Sudbury’s crown and is a haven for wildlife. Any more development here will only degrade this special area more.
“Sudbury is already short of sports pitches and open spaces; now the football club wants to use some of its land for storage. This is not what you expect from a community football club in a town the size of Sudbury.”
Paul Lincoln, of Brundon Lane, said: “This development is totally inappropriate as the area is used for recreational purposes and the containers will be an eyesore from the Valley Walk and the water meadows.
“Many more members of the public in Sudbury have come to appreciate this area during lockdown as they have discovered the Valley Walk and footpaths in the area.
“Brundon Lane is a single track and unsuitable for heavy container traffic. It will also have an adverse impact on local ecology and wildlife.”
Arabella McKessar, of Brundon Lane, added: “It is hard to think that a precious public asset, such as the Valley Walk, could be ruined for this.”
The application has yet to be determined.
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