A COUNCIL has recommended conditional approval of retrospective plans for improvements at Ivybridge Town Football Club.

The club, which is based at Erme playing fields next to the South Devon Tennis Centre, has submitted its retrospective application to extend the floodlighting from four floodlights to six as well as building soccer dug-outs and raising the level of the pitch.

South Hams councillors will discuss the application at their mont-hly development management committee meeting at Follaton House, Totnes on Wednesday, September 5.

Officers have recommended the council gives the application conditional approval.

Last year the football club were granted app-roval for four new floodlights on each corner of the ground, a 50 seater stand and extension to the clubhouse.

Further improvements have seen a spectator handrail around the pitch and a tarmac path around the perimeter of the site as well as parking on the field.

Following concerns raised regarding whether the development was being carried out in accordance with existing approvals, a retrospective application for the installation of two additional floodlight columns and the erection of two block built soccer dug-outs with concrete bases was submitted.

This application was held in abeyance while the issue of the raised pitch, which came to light during the consideration of the application, was considered. It has now been withdrawn.

The current application has received no objection from either Ivybridge Town Council or Ugborough Parish Council and has rece-ived just the one letter of objection.

The letter from Mr Vernon Edwards highlights a range of issues including 'Heras' fencing around the pitch, flood issues, permanent advertising boards erected around the pitch and, he believes that as the application is retrospective there have been breaches of planning regulations.

Officers reiterated that the nearest residential dwellings, Riverside and Eastern Lodge are situated more than 100 metres from the football ground to the south and established landscaping positioned between the two developments will help to defuse illumination.

Officers also had no objection to the dug outs. The report says: 'Officers consider the works which this application seeks to regularise are acceptable in planning terms, subject to the planning conditions referred to above.

'While there are still some outstanding matters which need to be addressed, these can be appropriately dealt with outside of this application.

'On this basis the officer recommendation is for conditional approval.'