It was a win for Beverley Park residents this week when the Georges River Council Local Planning Panel refused an application by Beverley Park Golf Club to build a 2.1-metre high fence around the golf course.
The Panel reviewed two Development Applications submitted by Beverley Park Golf Club, one to erect a fence and another for a maintenance building.
Plans by the club to erect a metal railing security fence around the entire perimeter of the golf course angered nearby residents.
Objections included the removal of trees, the change to the streetscape from their removal, the aesthetics of the proposed fence, the increased risk of golf balls flying into homes and the barring of public access to the golf course.
The residents said that the Beverley Park Plan of Management states that access to Crown Land is free as a matter of right.
The Local Planning Panel resolved to refuse the application to build a fence around the Beverley Park Golf Club due to the failure of the applicant to obtain the land owner's consent from Sydney Water, given part of the fence is on their land.
The application also lacked important information including acid sulphate soil detail, information on trees to be removed and the precise location of the fence.
The Panel expressed concern about the overall design of the fence and subsequent impact on the environment and public amenity.
Six Georges River Council residents spoke against the application and a representative of the Club also addressed the Panel.
The Local Planning Panel resolved to defer a determination of the application for a Maintenance Building for 90 days, as requested by the Beverley Park Golf Club.
The purpose of the deferral is to allow more time for the applicant to submit additional detail, including information on remediation of land requirements, acid sulphate soil detail, acoustics and the Plan of Management.
Resident Matt Pasfield described it as a huge win for the Beverley Park community.
"The tight-knit community and families celebrated this win to keep the jewel in the crown of our community fence free and remain beautiful," Mr Pasfield said.
"Once again the community had a huge turnout of 80-plus residents attend and object to the fence at the DA application meeting.
"The golf club's additional DA application to build a huge amenities was allowed to be deferred to provide more information the golf club has had two years to provide.
"I would like to thank the community for its massive effort to get to this conclusion."
Beverlely Park Golf Club president, Frank Bates said, "We respect the panel's decision but not enough information was provided in the report.
"In the opinion of the Club's board it didn't cover all aspects of what the fence was intended for," he said.
"The scale of the reports by the independent risk managment consultants and the police wasn't spelt out.
"However, we are reviewing our options and our right of appeal."
