Car park five-a-side bid rejected

By John Hill on February 5, 2010 5:58 PM |

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Plans to put five-a-side football pitches in an Isle of Dogs car park have been dismissed.

Tower Hamlets Council has rejected Powerleague's bid to install five pitches in the NCP multi-storey in Selsdon Way, citing concerns over noise and light pollution.

Parking was also raised as a negative factor. The NCP itself may have a capacity of up to 500 at the moment, but the Development Committee argued that visitors would dodge having to pay for spaces and compete with residents for their spots.

Powerleague has 44 centres in the UK, and told residents that the pitches would meet a "significant un-met demand". It would have also featured a pavilion and function room, aimed at "providing city workers at Canary Wharf with an opportunity to organise after-work or lunchtime games with their colleagues and clients".

Residents gathered up 73 signatures for a petition opposing the plan, and 43 further objections were received in the run up to Wednesday's decision.

Blackwall and Cubitt Town councillor Tim Archer, who spoke against the application, said: "It's not just the sound of the football pitches themselves. The hours of operation are up to 10pm. After 6pm, it's a residential area and this type of operation would have changed the environment."