Site at risk

[DanBow]

This just popped up on my news feed

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/25043268.airsoft-club-told-may-stop-woodland-games/

Essentially a local council want to shut down an airsoft site.

heres the petition to help.

https://chng.it/qwbL6rk6x6

Anyone here from the site?

 

[Rogerborg]

However, I thought paintball had made this argument years ago, demonstrating that woodland evolved with deer and boar stomping around, and we're actually emulating that by playing hide-and-seek.

 

[Lozart]

They're saying the site is protected because it's an SSSI but if you look up SSSIs in the area it's only the reservoir up the road, the boundary of which doesn't actually appear to cover the airsoft site. If the site was in the bounds of the SSSI then it would never have gotten permission to run!

Signed by the way.

 

[Chev Chelios]

"Essentially a local council want to shit down an airsoft site." "Edited 1 hour ago by DanBow Speeling" lol

Signed. 

 

[Lozart]

After I signed the petition the very next one up was to make Middlewick Ranges up the road into an SSSI to stop it getting built on. Sounds like the council are having a fun old time of it!

 

[mrfoxhound]

They're saying the site is protected because it's an SSSI but if you look up SSSIs in the area it's only the reservoir up the road, the boundary of which doesn't actually appear to cover the airsoft site. If the site was in the bounds of the SSSI then it would never have gotten permission to run!

Signed by the way.

but they didn't get planning permission in the first place ,

View attachment 146626

 

[novioman]

Signed and pasted on.

 

[Lozart]

but they didn't get planning permission in the first place ,

View attachment 146626

Source?

 

[mrfoxhound]

Source?

thats a direct email they received from the council  

 

[DanBow]

"Essentially a local council want to shit down an airsoft site." "Edited 1 hour ago by DanBow Speeling" lol

Signed. 

Oh yeah,missed that one! ?

 

[Lozart]

thats a direct email they received from the council  

...and they published it themselves? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!

 

[Galvatron]

What a bunch of killjoy jobsworths.

Signed.

 

[The_Lord_Poncho]

Looks like a simple case of falling foul of needing planning permission because the site structures fall outside of Permitted Development constraints. Seeking (retrospective) planning permission would then mean that the full use of the site is subject to consent, including traffic/transport considerations, and environmental aspects as well. To be honest, with good consultants I’m sure these concerns can be adequately rebutted, but that all costs money.  I have to say, petitions in situations like this are somewhat pointless. Well thought out  and logical letters written to local councillors (especially those on the planning committee) would likely be more beneficial.

 

[Cannonfodder]

In in two minds about this. On one hand a site closing is always bad, but if they've either ignored or didn't think planning laws applied then that's on them. How long has the site been open?

 

[Adolf Hamster]

However, I thought paintball had made this argument years ago, demonstrating that woodland evolved with deer and boar stomping around, and we're actually emulating that by playing hide-and-seek.

despite having once been nearly run-down by a deer mid-game, a circumstance that prompted my inexperienced invitee to comment if it happened often to which i replied no, it does not. i do see how the *ahem* "biodegradeable" nature of our bb's is sus at best and that environmental sustainability is unfortunately a valid concern for site longevity.

 

[mrfoxhound]

In in two minds about this. On one hand a site closing is always bad, but if they've either ignored or didn't think planning laws applied then that's on them. How long has the site been open?

one game, there trying to use the 28 day rule to not get planning permission and calming skirmish team game is not a ''war game''  ,which  you cant use the 28 day rule if you are doing ''war games''

 

[Cannonfodder]

one game, there trying to use the 28 day rule to not get planning permission and calming skirmish team game is not a ''war game''  ,which  you cant use the 28 day rule if you are doing ''war games''

Sounds like they're taking the piss a bit trying to skirt round planning laws. Also if they've only played 1 game there then their claims about it ruining their business is suspicious.

 

[mrfoxhound]

Sounds like they're taking the piss a bit trying to skirt round planning laws. Also if they've only played 1 game there then their claims about it ruining their business is suspicious.

nonono they have been operating for a few years , had maybe 5 sites and have been asked to leave or left  the most egress one is as we are a garrison town there's quite a lot of training facility's for the army around small FIBUA with woodlands, they pretty much got airsoft banned from using any training areas because of bad hand over    , and are in 81,000 pounds in debt 

 

[Colin Allen]

Apocalypse went through this a few years ago and were eventually granted permission.  A petition will not have any impact if they are in breach of planning regulations; while this may seem like a bunch of killjoy jobsworths ruining a business and preventing players having fun, planning regulations play an important role in protecting the environment, in the wider meaning of the word.

 

[Cannonfodder]

nonono they have been operating for a few years , had maybe 5 sites and have been asked to leave or left  the most egress one is as we are a garrison town there's quite a lot of training facility's for the army around small FIBUA with woodlands, they pretty much got airsoft banned from using any training areas because of bad hand over    , and are in 81,000 pounds in debt 

In that case any sympathy I had is now gone. It sounds to me like their attitude is fuck everyone else, we'll do whatever we like

If they're in that much debt I question their wisdom on opening another site considering the cost involved and that sites often aren't that profitable