The Planning Committee (Smaller Applications) met on 1 July 2025 to consider two planning applications relating to South Dock Marina and Dulwich Sports Club. The committee was scheduled to discuss the refurbishment of the South Dock Marina boatyard, and the construction of outdoor playing facilities and a sports pavilion at Dulwich Sports Club.

South Dock Marina, Rope Street, London SE16 7SZ

The committee was scheduled to consider a planning application for the refurbishment of South Dock Marina to include:

• Demolition and removal of all buildings and structures on site
• Renewal of services infrastructure
• A new electricity substation
• Underground drainage
• Hard standings
• New workshops
• Studios
• Toilets
• Showers
• Laundry
• Associated landscaping
• Construction of new covered boat repair areas with associated gantry and staircase
• Removal of the existing crane and replacement with a new crane
• A pontoon adjacent to the crane and associated public realm works to the crane area
• The addition of new trees to the river walk

A further representation was received from the Southwark Law Centre and South Dock Marina Berth Holders Association, raising concerns about rent increases, the transitional service charge, on-site storage, and the community garden.

The Southwark Law Centre and South Dock Marina Berth Holders Association said that multiple businesses indicated that they would only be able to afford an ultimate rent of £12/sqft, and disputed how market rent had been calculated. They also asked for clarification on the transitional service charge for businesses remaining in the boatyard, and asked that no transitional service charge is incurred.

The applicant clarified that a service charge would apply and that this would be introduced on a transitional basis, with no service charges for the first two years, and that businesses will no longer be required to pay the transactional fees that the council normally requires any new tenant to pay when entering into a lease.

The Southwark Law Centre and South Dock Marina Berth Holders Association also asked that additional storage is provided, and stressed their belief that the community garden is Other Open Space since it is ancillary to, and/or within the curtilage of a building .

The applicant clarified that at a previous Planning Committee meeting, the Chair requested that the existing number of residential berth holder storage units i.e. a maximum of 24, should be retained and that this was agreed.

Planning Policy officers said that the dockyard area is not an adopted Other Open Space, and is therefore not shown in the Southwark Plan policies map, or listed in the appendix as Other Open Space.

Dulwich Sports Club, Giant Arches Road, London SE24 9HP

The committee was scheduled to consider a planning application for the construction of outdoor playing facilities and a sports pavilion at Dulwich Sports Club, a member-run not-for-profit sports organisation.

The proposal aims to expand the quality and quantity of sports playing facilities at the club to increase the number of local people participating in sports on site while also securing a sustainable long-term income and financial viability for the club.

The proposal will allow Dulwich Sports Club to:

• Introduce the rapidly growing racket sport of 'padel' to the club by adding padel courts
• Increase the number of all-weather floodlit tennis courts to enable more play year-round and after dusk
• Retain and enhance croquet facilities on the site
• Promote sustainable transport to the club
• Planting and landscaping improvements
• Phase the development to minimise disruption to facilities during development works and ensure that sports facilities for each section of the Dulwich Sports Club are maintained during development as far as possible.

The proposed pavilion would be 4.3m wide, 9.5m in length, an eaves height of 2.44m and the pitched roof would have a maximum height of 4.29m. The pavilion will house a croquet store, accessible WC and an open plan kitchenette and social space.

Numerically the number of croquet courts would be the same, 3. The total number of floodlit tennis courts would increase from 5 to 8 and the total number of tennis courts would reduce from 11 to 10. 5 new floodlit padel courts would be created. It is also proposed to change the floodlit hours of the 2 existing tennis courts (6 and 7) on the south-eastern part of the site from 08:00-21:00 Monday to Saturday to 08:00-21:30 Monday to Saturday (no proposed change to the current hours 08:00-20:30 on Sundays and Bank Holidays).

It is also proposed to replace the existing 4m high cricket netting with 10m high netting.

Four sections of low-value C hedge are to be removed as part of the proposal. There are no Tree Protection Orders¹ (TPO's) on the site. Works are proposed within the root protection area of some existing trees and specialist methods of design and construction are proposed as mitigation.

The existing access path would be widened and upgraded to permeable resin-bound gravel.

There are currently 46 existing short stay cycle parking spaces in Sheffield stand form at the sports club. The applicant is proposing an additional 10 short stay cycle parking spaces, and 5 accessible short stay spaces to accommodate disabled, adapted and cargo bicycles. All proposed cycle parking will be provided in Sheffield stand form. 5 long stay cycle parking spaces will be provided within a secure and weatherproof 'bike hanger'. The applicant is proposing an external bike and maintenance stand

Four further local representations were received, raising concerns about amenity, light pollution, noise nuisance, the area being out of keeping with the character of area, an increase of pollution, and not enough information given on the application.

The applicant submitted a document titled 'June 2025 of tennis floodlighting times comparables.' This shows floodlighting times in several locations in South London.

The council's transport strategy team advised that the council can add parking bays to the site if the applicant is supportive and that onsite provision would be the best outcome.

The map showing the Controlled Parking Zone was updated, showing the Dulwich Controlled Parking Zone as 'existing' and not 'in development'.

The applicant submitted an updated document: 'Summary of engagement by Dulwich Sports Club with neighbours and Residents Associations' on 30 June 2025.

The applicant advised that in recent years the club has self-imposed an earliest start time of 7am, and would agree to making 7am an official planning-permitted start time, but 8am is too late and would limit access to sport, contrary to Southwark's own policies.

The applicant also said that if new tennis and padel courts are permitted, the booking system would prioritise these first, over courts 1-3 which are closest to the houses, so early play could actually be less on courts 1-3, reducing perceived noise levels at neighbouring houses.

The trigger for the Noise management report condition was amended from: Within six months of the date of this consent , to Within six months of the commencement of the uses hereby permitted .

The local planning authority obtained the applicant's view on reducing the closing time from 10pm to 9pm. The applicant advised that ongoing noise monitoring is covered by the Noise Management Condition, and this should be sufficient, under planning policy if not local opinion, to allay resident's concerns noise. The Environmental Protection Team reviewed the applicant's comments and the 'June 2025 of tennis floodlighting times comparables' document and have no further comments as the noise management report condition should cover the points adequately.