Final steps for Bexhill remote-controlled racing track

On Monday (June 27), members of Rother District Council’s cabinet is set to consider whether to proceed with plans to lease part of St Mary’s Recreation Ground to 1066 Racing — a local RC racing club.

In March, the club secured a two-year planning permission to create a fenced-in track in the park where the club could hold races for electric RC cars.

The club had been seeking permanent permission for the track, but the council’s planning committee had concerns around the potential for noise disturbance and felt the use should be tested first. These noise concerns had been raised by a number of local objectors.

After gaining planning permission, the council opened a public consultation on granting the club a lease to use the site. This consultation saw six objections from residents.

According to officers, many of these objections had misunderstood the proposal, thinking that the council planned to permanently sell the land to the club. This would not be the case, officers said.

However, objectors had also raised concerns about noise, litter, vandalism and parking pressures from the site. Officers are recommending that these concerns be monitored should the lease be approved.

In a report to be considered by cabinet members, a council officers said: “Officers have considered the objections received but do not consider that the permitted activity will impact detrimentally on local residents, indeed it will increase the use and value of this somewhat underused amenity to the community and does not conflict with the plans in development to accommodate Sidley Cricket Club at the same site.

“The limitations imposed by the planning consent and resultant shorter-term lease of two years both provide a means to terminate the activity in the event that the arrangement proves to be problematic.”

If given the go ahead by cabinet, the club would be required to operate in line with the planning permission granted.

This planning permission restricts the track’s use to one weekday evening per week — from 5pm to 9pm or sundown, if earlier — and on Sundays between 9am and 2pm.