Singleton Council’s Post

Sunday was a good day, organising this annual football festival. It is particularly pleasing to note the growing women's appetite for this recreational game format. The walking football format has grown immensely since the first CRT Game On Wales tournament 2015. It is now truly a game for all. The 2024 Coalfield Cup’ attracted a record 200+ participants and is a reminder that people can play football their way, there’s a style and format of the game out there to suit pawb regardless. Our research showed that walking football has the potential to provide a variety of benefits, especially for the psychological, social, and physical health of the older adults within our former coal mining towns and villages (an area that has an older, slower-growing population than the rest of the UK). Current walking football participation experiences are extremely positive for individuals, while the research generally reflects participants' enjoyment, feasibility, and continuation. The findings illustrate the importance of physical activity interventions as highlighted in ‘The State of the Coalfields 2024’ report. 

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

Funding is everything for programs...

Last night I played tennis with my old housemate. He’s a lot better than I am but that is an incredibly low benchmark. Most points during the game were won more or less because of unforced errors. Which basically means more unnecessary mistakes were made than awesome confident shots being played. To put this into commercial property investment terms an unforced error is the equivalent of overpaying for a commercial property, not understanding the market demand, not having regard to current and forecast supply, not doing your homework on the tenant, or underestimating maintenance costs or CAPEX upgrades. “The game” of commercial property investing can be won most often by simply following process and having the right due diligence in place to ensure that you’re not making unforced errors.

New article on CJI (Clapham Junction/London/UK):  The All England Lawn Tennis Club's ambitious expansion plans have taken a significant step forward. Mayor of London's officers have recommended approval for the project, which includes 39 new courts and an 8,000-seat stadium. This development raises important questions about urban planning, environmental impact, and the balance between economic growth and community interests. As professionals in urban development, sports management, or environmental sectors, what are your thoughts on this project? #WimbledonExpansion #UrbanDevelopment #SportsBusiness Read the full article for a comprehensive overview of the situation: https://lnkd.in/eNhSbCBx

What is community title? It’s a common model in suburbs like Stanhope Gardens and Rouse Hill, where property owners contribute to and enjoy the use of shared facilities like pools, clubhouses and tennis courts 🎾 Community title can co-exist with either strata title or freehold title. Before you buy into a gated community or a development like this, be sure you understand how it works and what you’re committing to. You’ll need to review the specific requirements of a particular property before deciding to buy, but you can get an understanding of the bigger picture here: https://lnkd.in/g8_6nHBK #property #landtitle #communitytitle #conveyancing

Lessons from #Paris2024 for #Brisbane2032 (but also from #GoldCoast2018): High interest rates and building costs threaten one key Olympic legacy goal of the current tournament. #paris2024 #legacy #interestrates #propertydevelopment https://lnkd.in/g7hGyXY7

“Preserving the openness of the Green Belt”- How the All England Lawn Tennis Club plans to destroy Metropolitan Open Land. Do restrictive covenants still count for anything? I live in South West London in a corner blessed with Metropolitan Open Land, a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation as well as being a Historic Park Grade 2. Put simply, this is a park that is an oasis of calm despite being in London, has a beautiful lake, provides space for families to be together and enjoy the simple pleasures in life. It was an absolute life-line during the pandemic to escape to. It is also home to the world renowned Tennis Championships hosted by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), which for two weeks of the year bring crowds and festive spirits to the area which we locals all enjoy and celebrate. For years, our beautiful open space and the Championships have co-existed happily with parts of the park even being given over to the AELTC temporarily to allow visitors to queue for tickets and park cars. However, our space is under threat due to the AELTC's planning application to expand its operations onto the golf course lands, with a new 8000 seater and 28m high, 104m wide stadium, 38 open courts, and a number of maintenance depots, player facilities and other structures. The implications of these plans are horrendous from an environmental point of view, including the tearing down of 300 trees, filling the soil with concrete (did you know that 100 tonnes of concrete go into a single “grass court”?), 8 years of lorries removing soil, the list goes on.. As a lawyer, I am most intrigued in how the AELTC think they can simply ignore a restrictive covenant against building on the land? When it acquired the freehold to the land in 1993, the AELTC publicly promised to keep the entirety of the land as open space and entered into restrictive covenants with Merton Council: a) not to build on it; b) not to use it except for recreation and leisure or as open space; and c) to dedicate the lakeside walkway for the public when golf ceased to be played. But: a) the AELTC’s plans include building a 28m high stadium and 10 other ancillary buildings; b) “Recreation and leisure” does not include paying for tickets to watch professional tennis players doing their job; c) golf ceased to be played on 31 December 2022. But no publicly accessible walk around the lake is being created. The AELTC is relying on a legal technicality that, as the lease still subsists, they have no need to comply with the Lakeside Covenant. I would be interested in other lawyers’ thoughts on these plans. The most worrying part is that if these plans go ahead, its also sets a precedent for other Metropolitan Open Lands that are under threat of development. If you wish to help and oppose these plans, please do by going to the Greater London Authority website before 8th June 2024: https://lnkd.in/eA5R8Qzv Thank you

New study by Cape Town 2040 shows Cape Town has 84 percent of venues required for a potential future Olympic Games Eighty-four percent of the competition venues for a potential future Olympic Games in Cape Town and the Western Cape are either existing or could be temporary, creating a solid foundation for a future bid. This finding was revealed in a new study published on #OlympicDay by Cape Town 2040 (CT2040), a research group assessing the region's potential as a future Olympic host in light of the IOC's Agenda 2020 and 2020+5 reforms. Download here: https://lnkd.in/dvJUe-Fp

Yesterday, at the Assembleia Municipal, we reached a significant milestone towards the realisation of the long-awaited Marinha Grande Municipal Swimming Pool. The authorisation to consult banks was approved, a crucial step towards securing the funds needed to build it. Even though I'm now in opposition, I didn't hesitate to support the continuation of this process, which aims to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of Marinha Grande. I have always found the opposition's policy of blocking progress, which has so often hindered the progress of our land, incomprehensible. It is regrettable that we have had to wait two and a half long years, due to the inaction of the local executive, for this issue to finally be approved by the Assembly, especially considering the additional financial impact it already has of around 4,7 million euros. We could almost say that, if it had been given due priority, today we could have not just one, but two swimming pools, with the same financial resources; the preliminary project has been approved since August 2021. It's frustrating to see that development and the well-being of citizens are often neglected in favour of political agendas. However, despite the difficulties faced, it is gratifying to realise that we have finally made progress in realising this very important project for the community. The Municipal Swimming Pool will not only be a place for leisure, but also a vital centre for promoting health, sport and social interaction. I will continue to follow this process closely, in the hope that future development projects will not face similar obstacles and that we can build a more prosperous future for Marinha Grande and its residents.