Greenwich Council's Planning Board has refused permission for a development that would have seen 205 homes built on the site of the STC Ivor Grove Sports Club in Eltham.
The decision, made at a meeting on Tuesday, 21 July 2026, cited concerns over the harm to Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) and the loss of vital sports facilities.
Officers argued that the proposal constituted inappropriate development on MOL, causing substantial harm to its openness and character. The development was deemed to harm MOL due to its inappropriate nature, introducing extensive residential development onto land that is currently predominantly open and used for sports and recreational use. The proposal would not fall within any recognised exceptions for appropriate development on MOL, as housing is not an appropriate use for such land and the development would not be ancillary or essential to the existing sports and recreational function of the site. The development would cause substantial harm to the spatial and visual openness of the MOL, permanently urbanising land that is currently largely free from built form. The fact that the land is privately owned and does not provide unrestricted public access was not considered a determinative factor, as sports grounds often have club-based access while fulfilling an important MOL recreational and green infrastructure function.
Despite acknowledging the public benefits, including 205 new homes and 103 affordable homes (representing 50% of the total units, exceeding the 35% threshold), the board concluded these did not outweigh the permanent harm to the protected land. Other acknowledged public benefits included financial contributions towards off-site sports improvements, new landscaping, a significant biodiversity net gain, and the provision of equipped play spaces. However, officers argued that the policy test is demanding, and the benefits must clearly outweigh the harm to MOL by reason of its inappropriateness, harm to openness, and all other identified harms. The board did not consider this test had been met, and the public benefits were not sufficient to amount to 'very special circumstances'.
Furthermore, the plan would have led to the permanent loss of playing fields and community facilities without equivalent or better replacement provision. The proposed replacement sports facilities involved off-site mitigation through financial contributions towards improved pitch provision and associated facilities elsewhere in the Borough, specifically at Bostall Heath and Woods, Charlton Park, and Southwood Park. These works included pitch reconstruction, new pavilions, and maintenance. However, these facilities were deemed insufficient by Sport England and the council for several reasons: they did not provide quantitative replacement for the lost playing field land; Bostall Heath and Woods and Charlton Park were considered materially distant from the application site and would not adequately serve the same local catchment; Southwood Park would provide much less capacity; and the proposed improvements at Southwood Park would formalise an area currently used as general public parkland, shifting harm from one protected recreational use to another. Sport England maintained a statutory objection, confirming the proposals did not meet any exceptions within their playing fields policy. The Football Foundation also considered the off-site mitigation reliant on the loss of one existing playing field to fund improvements elsewhere as unsustainable and not strategic.
Concerns were also raised about the failure to demonstrate acceptable daylight levels for future occupiers. The applicant's assessment, which tested units with lower UK annex targets intended for hard-to-light dwellings, was deemed not applicable to the site, which is an open and undeveloped site with no external obstructions and surrounded by low-level neighbours. Officers argued that it was inappropriate to allow a lower standard simply because the scheme created its own daylight constraints, and the applicant declined to provide a new assessment against higher standards. The applicant has therefore failed to demonstrate that future occupiers would have acceptable standards of amenity, specifically levels of daylight appropriate for the site context.
The refusal of planning permission means that the STC Ivor Grove Sports Club and its associated facilities will continue to operate in their current form. The demolition and redevelopment of the site for housing will not proceed as proposed. The existing sports club buildings and pitches will remain, allowing current users to continue their activities. However, the report notes that some existing facilities, such as the changing rooms and pitches, are in need of repair and investment.
The current status of the STC Ivor Grove Sports Club site is that it is designated as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) and forms part of the Green Chain, used for sports and recreational purposes. The future planned use remains as MOL with its current sports and recreational function, as the redevelopment was not approved.
For more details on the meeting and the reports considered, please refer to the Minutes cover report, the Agenda frontsheet, and the Public reports pack.
