In 2006 planning consent was given for the Germany Beck housing development in Fulford, York. As part of this approval, the developer, Persimmon was required to provide a parcel of land and financial contribution, the S106 Recreational Payment, to the council to provide outdoor sports space and facilities to the local residents.
Preliminary surveys have been completed on the land, and we're now working to confirm what facilities to provide.
The information from an online consultation, as well as opinions gathered at public meeting at Fulford Social Hall on Sunday 17 July, are now being assessed and a proposal will be put forward to the relevant groups.
Once a final scheme is agreed upon, a planning application, for those elements that do not already have consent and require planning, will be submitted towards the end of the year.
Fulford Recreational Development Proposal Consultation
A consultation was held to gather opinions on which of the 3 proposed options the public wished to be implemented. See details of the 3 proposed options for facilities.
Through this online survey you could also tell us if you thought any aspects of any option, other than the one you had chosen, should be included in the final option.
The consultation closed on Sunday 31 July 2022.
Fulford Recreational Development options
All 3 options include:
- new footpath areas
- improved routes for pedestrians and bicycles
- the combination and improvement of the 2 fields into 1 large field with a grass surface, upgraded to Sport England standard
- an underground drainage system to stop the field from becoming being boggy and unusable during wet months
- a mixture of improved wildlife areas, tree planting, green corridors, and mini wetland
Some additions which can be included are:
- extra fenced tennis courts, attached to the existing tennis club
- improvements to the play equipment on the fields
- new outdoor fitness equipment facilities
- a community garden, accessible for wheelchair users and including seating areas
![This is an example of what the community garden will look like, it shows a circular path of gravel surrounded by benches which have been evenly placed around a plant pot in the centre. The image shows lots of greenery around the space.](/images/fulford_community_garden_example.jpg)
The options will enable much greater usage by the local sports clubs and local residents for such activities as:
- informal sports such as rounders
- children’s football teams
- open space events
- fetes
Find out more about the potential options:
- Fulford Recreational Development - Option A
- Fulford Recreational Development - Option B
- Fulford Recreational Development - Option C
- Tennis court redevelopment
Fulford Recreational Development - Option A
This proposal includes:
- improvement and redesign of the Parish and Persimmon fields, including levelling and improved drainage to Sport England standard, this will provide a minimum of;
- 1 full size pitch
- 1 9 x 9 pitch
- 2 five-a-side pitches (using the Sport England optimum layout)
- rounder’s markings
- 2 additional hard standing tennis courts and netting near to the existing courts and club house to the north of the field
- improvements to the current Fulford club house to enable greater usage for more tennis and football users
- improvements to the boundary footpaths and landscaping to implement a full circuit around the whole field area
- a seasonal wetland to the north-east of the field, a wildflower meadow to the south, inside the boundary footpath and a mini forest on the Persimmon field
Fulford Recreational Development - Option B
Option B will include:
- improvement and redesign of the Parish and Persimmon fields, including levelling and improved drainage to Sport England standard, this will provide a minimum of;
- 1 full size pitch
- 1 9 x 9 pitch
- 2 five-a-side pitches (using the Sport England optimum layout)
- rounder’s markings
- improvements to the current Fulford club house to enable greater usage for more tennis and football users
- 2 additional hard standing tennis courts and netting near to the existing courts and club house to the north of the field
- an outdoor gym area along the boundary with the primary school to the north-west of the field, as a “fitness corridor” incorporating several pieces of permanent positioned outdoor gym equipment
- improvements to the boundary footpaths and landscaping to implement a full circuit around the whole field area
- swale or eco area in the centre of the fields providing temporary wetland or wildflower area with planting
- a mini woodland area at the top of the Persimmon field
- a sensory garden walk between the play area and the woodland area on the west side of the fields
Fulford Recreational Development - Option C
Option C will include:
- improvement and redesign of the Parish and Persimmon fields, including levelling and improved drainage to Sport England standard, this will provide a minimum of;
- 1 full size pitch
- 1 9 x 9 pitch
- 2 five-a-side pitches (using the Sport England optimum layout)
- rounder’s markings
- improvements to the current Fulford club house to enable greater usage for more tennis and football users
- an outdoor gym area along the boundary with the primary school to the north-west of the field, as a “fitness corridor” incorporating several pieces of permanent positioned outdoor gym equipment
- improvements to the boundary footpaths and landscaping to implement a full circuit around the whole field area
- a community garden on the Parish field, near to the tennis courts
- a seasonal wetland on the eastern side of the Parish field
- a mini woodland area on the Persimmon field
- a sensory garden walk between the play area and the woodland area on the west side of the fields
- improvements to the play equipment on the western boundary
Tennis Court redevelopment
Both options A and B propose to add 2 hard standing tennis courts and netting. The design of these courts is in progress and will be finalised once the overall option is chosen. The following provides some points we will consider in these options:
![A tennis court. This image demonstrates the type of tennis court design which may be implemented at the Fulford Recreational Development Proposal. It shows a tennis court surrounded by a low hedge.](/images/tennis_court_example_fulford_playing_field.png)
- high fencing is the safest option in a public space setting, keeping flying tennis balls in the court compound - it is also the best option to protect the facilities against vandalism
- the visual impact can be further softened with extra planting around the courts; planting could include a variety of trees, shrubs and hedges on the open sides of the courts
- chain link is the most discreet fencing system, with thin posts and an almost invisible green pvc-coated mesh - it’s also the most cost-effective
- 2-tone-green porous hard surface ensures minimal visual impact in a green setting
The tennis courts will most likely be enclosed by chain link fencing at 2.75 metres high, which matches the existing tennis courts and accounts for the following safety and usability considerations:
- safety of all users of the space, where people walk about and dogs roam freely
- balls could very likely fly out of the tennis compound onto a football pitch during a match, or into the line of spectators
- a football could just as easily enter a tennis court and cause a hazard to a tennis player/spectator or disrupt a game or a tennis lesson
- low fencing would leave the tennis courts vulnerable to vandalism and inappropriate use, at times when the club is normally closed, or courts are not in use
Also see:
Cindy Benton
Community Officer