Joanna Tall’s Post

From 3 April 2023, NSW Councils were required to have a Conflict of Interest Policy in place for Council-related Development Applications.   One way for Councils to manage a conflict of interest is through the independent assessment of Development Applications.   DFP Planning provide independent assessment planning services to Councils across NSW.   The determination of tennis court lighting at Kingsford Smith Oval, Longueville, earlier this week is one example of an independent assessment we have undertaken.   This particular case shows the link between well-considered conditions of consent and the ability to demonstrate the impacts from development can be managed. https://lnkd.in/eJNi2kkg #dfpplanning #planning

Municipal courses are an absolutely integral part of golf's grassroots, providing opportunities to those who perhaps cannot afford the fees demanded by private members’ clubs or who want to learn to play in a more relaxed, less intimidating environment. They may not make it onto many ‘bucket lists’. They certainly won’t ever host The Open. But that’s not their purpose. Their entire reason for being is far more important than any of that. Take them away and you make golf inaccessible to a significant proportion of the population. You risk making the game everything that so many are trying hard to prevent it from becoming: the exclusive preserve of those with ‘means’. For any country, that would be terrible. But for Scotland, the 'Home of Golf', it would be utterly shameful. At bunkered, we passionately believe golf is a sport for all and I am grateful we have a platform to advocate for all that is great about it - particularly the less 'fashionable' parts; the parts that are under-appreciated and misunderstood. It has been great to have had the opportunity to represent these views through other outlets this week, including the Scottish Daily Mail - who invited me to write an op-ed on the issue - and BBC Radio Scotland. It's working, too. We learned yesterday that the closure-threatened Hollandbush has been given a reprieve by its council, whilst more than 5,000 people - including footballer John McGinn and top caddie Craig Connelly - have signed a petition calling for Dalmuir to be spared, too. Along with the two courses at Caird Park in Dundee, it will discover its fate in the coming weeks but Labour and SNP representatives from West Dunbartonshire Council have both indicated to me this evening that they will be voting against any proposal to close or reduce the course. At a time when golf is arguably more popular than ever, it's vital that we keep it accessible to all, and munis are a key part of that. Onwards 💪🏽

https://lnkd.in/eA3FkyGS Probably the first time planning policies have featured on the BBC Sport website? I think this decision from the GLA raises key reflections about the use of Metropolitan Open Land (the areas within London's urban area with the same status as Green Belt). The fact is that a private membership golf course is clearly not substantively the same as a public park, and clearly the GLA were swayed by the argument that the future scheme will generate a variety of public benefits including the creation of more public parkland that offset the negative impacts of the scheme. It does demonstrate that certain proposals on MOL can proceed if they can convince decisionmakers of the overall net benefits to the community and economy. The stronger arguments from the community focused on the environmental impacts, but I personally think it was misguided to spend so much time and effort talking about the disruption of the construction process. If that was a key planning consideration, almost nothing would ever get built.

Could Dublin Host the Olympics??? As the Paris 2024 games draw to a close, I was having a conversation with someone about could Dublin pull off hosting the 2036 Olympics. I was promptly told I might be dreaming too big on this one… Let's be honest, the Olympics is no small feat. It is a logistical marathon, a financial steeplechase, and a public relations decathlon all rolled into one. But if any city could pull it off with a blend of determination and craic, it's Dublin. We've seen the transformative power of the Olympics firsthand. Barcelona's stunning waterfront and London's regeneration are testaments to the games' ability to reshape a city. Imagine a Dublin where world-class stadiums, transport infrastructure & and housing could be provided in one clean sweep and within 12 years. A Dublin Olympics could be the catalyst for the City Edge project which like the London 2012 location, could speed up unlocking the potential of the grand canal, existing transport infrastructure and creating a new landbank for large swathes of housing inside the M50, creating a vibrant, sustainable, and accessible location for everyone. Is it time to repurpose this part of the city sooner rather than later? Of course, I am not naïve having worked in the delivery of new homes in the midst of a housing emergency, there are challenges. Infrastructure, accommodation, and the dreaded traffic are just a few hurdles to overcome. But I genuinely believe with careful planning and ingenuity, we can turn these obstacles into opportunities. So, could Dublin host the Olympics? I believe it could and be the catalyst that Dublin needs to give the city a major overhaul. I believe it is a question that deserves consideration. What do you think? Could Dublin be an Olympic champion? Could Ireland have the Desire and belief to pull it off? #Dublin2036 #Olympics #CityEdge #Development #Transformation Dublin City Council South Dublin County Council Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Sport Ireland Sport Ireland Campus Olympic Federation of Ireland Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) GAA Football Association of Ireland Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) Athletics Ireland Swim Ireland

iGolf; much ado about nothing. For those of us working in the industry, the timing of Golf Ireland's recent launch of the new iGolf plan was a no-brainer. A slow news week sandwiched between the President’s Cup and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in early Autumn is as good a time as any to unveil a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. Offering a golfer the opportunity to attain an official handicap index without joining an affiliated golf club is something straight out of the Comedy of Errors. One would be concerned initially at the genesis of the thinking that began the process of introducing a new product to the marketplace that would compete head-on against one of the main revenue streams of all your members. More specifically, the proportion of your member clubs that depend on solid revenue from their Open Competitions and their chance to capture a few nomad golfers each year. If the new product is successful, it could threaten their very  existence, the development of golf in rural areas, and increase the volitivity of many golfers who are still aggrieved with the recent introduction of a new handicap system. Although its actions during Covid came across as an all-powerful governing body whose proclamations had to be always obeyed, it would be more fitting if Golf Ireland understood its relationship with its affiliated clubs. Each club is a unique business entity that must only answer to its members in how it conducts its golfing affairs. Clubs did not have to be told how to carry themselves during the pandemic and whether they accept these new handicapped players into their Open Competitions or even offer them the traditional “Golf Ireland” green fee reduction is a conversation that still must be had. I do not doubt that this debate will take place at the majority of club A.G.Ms. over the coming weeks where members will surely voice their concern at the prospect of competing against golfers who have not committed to the sport in the usual setting which is the raison detre many clubs were formed for in the first place. Golf Ireland should stick to what they are good at, primarily event management, keeping a watchful eye on the traditions of the game, and ensuring where possible that structures are in place that will develop the game to the standing it should have in Ireland – the home of five Major champions in recent years. With no sign of a comment from Golf Ireland about the possibility of sanctioning clubs that don’t recognise this new handicap index, which affiliated clubs will be perfectly entitled to do if directed to by their membership, I feel the noise created by last week’s launch will turn to silence very quickly. Open competitions are on very thin ice at the moment and this new concept is a massive danger to their future. Golf Ireland has a duty of care to the game and its membership; perhaps it should realise this sooner rather than later.

It's an exciting week for those of us working around events with #Paris2024 set to kick off this Friday, the announcement that #Birmingham will host the Invictus Games in 2027 and 10 years today since the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. At Spirit of 2012 we are always trying to get under the skin of how events leave a long term legacy in a place, and explore with partners from across sport, arts and culture and communities, how this impact could be maximized. 10 years on from the spectacular opening of the Glasgow 2014 Games we with our partners CCSE UWS, undertook some polling across Scotland to ask about the impact, the results are in - https://lnkd.in/evWJc_Zr We were delighted that the impact is still being felt now by people in Glasgow and across Scotland. At a glance the polling told us that the Games : Increased civic (71%) and national pride (75%). Improved Scotland’s international reputation (75%). Enhanced access to sporting facilities and activities (69%) Increased emphasis on public health and physical activity (76%) Strong support (73%) that the Games enabled Glasgow to host other major sporting events. Generated a lasting impact for the host city (69%) This broadly mirrors polling we undertook 10 years on from #London2012. It shows the power not just of the physical and economic legacy, but the magic and memory, the way events make people feel and connect to their place. It shows that in hosting major sporting events it's not just the sport that's important but the cultural and volunteering elements are critical in delivering that long term legacy.

The 6 Top Questions and Answers About The Augusta National Golf Masters That You Would Not Know!   1.   How much money is it to be a member at Augusta National? The Augusta National membership costs around $40,000 as an initiation fee.  Determining the exact cost of membership is nearly impossible because the club is privately owned and does not release its financial statements.  However, Golf Monthly reports the amount to be around $40,000, with an annual fee of around $4000. 2.   Can a non member play Augusta? It's not impossible. The most common way to play golf at Augusta National would be to get invited by one of the club's members. The club's membership roll is not public, but it's believed that Augusta National has about 300 members, and most are allowed to bring guests on select days of the season to play golf. 3.   Can you buy a round of golf at Augusta? Augusta National is a private club. There are no “greens fees” since the only people who can play the course are members or guests of members. In order to become a member you must be “invited”   4.   Why is Augusta National closed in the summer? Augusta National is a seasonal club. The course is shut down each May and reopens in October to eliminate a lot of wear and tear during the peak summer months in Augusta's humid, subtropical climate. That time of year is when improvements and construction on the course take place.   5.   How much does Augusta make from the Masters? The breakdown of the Masters' $141 million includes revenue from merchandise ($69 million), badges ($39 million), international television rights ($25 million) and concessions ($8 million). Notably missing from Augusta's revenue are domestic TV rights and sponsorship revenue.   6.   Do Masters winners keep the green jacket? As aforementioned, a Masters winner can take the green jacket home as long as it's returned by the next tournament.  

One of the highlights of this week was getting over to Glasgow to catch up with Sarah Shaw and handing over an engraved quaich to celebrate Glasgow City Council's win in the #ScottishPlanningAwards for their work on #PlaySufficiency. Well done to the team that worked on this Gillian Dick Etive Currie Heather Drake Glasgow City Council. It's a really inspirational piece of work, making use of in-house skills and resources, co-creating with young people and doing everything with a view to scalability and replication. We welcomed Jenny Munro back to the office this week, after her summer holidays. There's always plenty of work to be done responding to consultations and finalising the copy for the next issue of the Scottish Planner (coming soon!) Most of the content is in the folder, but there are a few final bits and pieces to review and edit. Well done to Shabnam Afshar for holding the fort and getting us 90% of the way there. (Note to self: must finish writing the editorial ...) It's been hard to keep my concentration at times, with all the fantastic Olympic action going on in Paris. My whole family are sports fans, although that might be linked to the fact that we took our children to the 2012 London Games and the 2014 Commonwealth Games! I'm a bit sad though that the Paris 1924 nostalgia has been limited to posters and medal bearer uniforms in the current games - why not resurrect some of the 1924 events? That could have given us another chance to have town planning at the Olympics. Perhaps, if Glasgow get to host the next Commonwealth Games, we can make a case for including it there? Even if we don't go back to competitive town planning, I'm wondering what type of sporting activity planning is best compared to? A relay race with team members passing the baton and working together towards a goal? A marathon or a road race, with a long distance between the start and finish? A steeplechase with the occasional hurdle? Or a team sport of some kind....? Something to think about whilst sipping a long cool drink perhaps?! Cheers 🥂

Check out pg.24 of the latest issue of SportsNation, where Andy Salmon outlines how swimming can help the new Labour government deliver on some of its key policy missions. "Our Value of Swimming report showed that swimming prevents almost 80,000 cases of ill health annually" 🏊 Check out the report here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e-9SbPeS