®Planning appeal decision
The Vestacare Stadium Whitebank Road, Oldham, OL8 3JH
Planning appeal 6009498 at The Vestacare Stadium Whitebank Road, Oldham, OL8 3JH (Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council) was dismissed on 20 August 2026 by Inspector K Mee, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether conditions 13, 14 and a new condition requiring an Event Management Plan are reasonable and necessary having regard to the effect that extending the operating hours of the 3G pitch and floodlighting would have on the living conditions of the occupiers of nearby residential properties, with particular regard to noise and light.
1) replacement of the existing grass football pitch with a new 3G pitch and associated fencing 2) development of new natural turf playing field and associated works” without complying with conditions attached to planning permission Ref PA/339093/16, dated 12 December 2016
- Authority
- Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
- Appeal type
- Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- leisure-sport
- Inspector
- K Mee
- Postcode
- OL8 3JH
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether conditions 13, 14 and a new condition requiring an Event Management Plan are reasonable and necessary having regard to the effect that extending the operating hours of the 3G pitch and floodlighting would have on the living conditions of the occupiers of nearby residential properties, with particular regard to noise and light
What decided it
The extended operating hours would unacceptably harm the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers through noise and light disturbance, particularly given their close proximity to the stadium, and this harm could not be satisfactorily mitigated through an Event Management Plan condition.
The limited social and economic benefits attributed to the proposal were outweighed by the unacceptable harm to the living conditions of neighbouring residents from noise and light disturbance.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 9 of the Oldham Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (November 2011)
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Dismissed20 April 20263375124Clough Manor Hotel, Rochdale Road, Denshaw, Oldham, OL3 5UE
- Allowed5 January 20263372683Asda Stores Ltd, Greenfield Lane, Shaw, Oldham, OL2 8QP
- Allowed10 December 20253372883317 Abbey Hills Road, Oldham, OL4 5LX
- Dismissed30 October 2025336851963H Heron Street, Oldham , OL8 4LP
- Allowed21 October 20253367017Land on the South Side of Medlock Road, Failsworth, Manchester, M35 9WG
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.