Perth and Kinross Council has defended its position in response to criticism over a lack of local consultation on volleyball tournaments being held in a Perth neighbourhood.
However, the local authority did confirm that planning permission will be sought in relation to the raised volleyball sand beds at Darnhall.
PKC gave the green light for the bowling green on Orchard Place to be transformed into a beach volleyball court, without any official planning permission, for the Small Countries Association Beach Volleyball Finals in 2019.
Since then a number of national events have been held at the courts.
At the start of the month Darnhall hosted the UK Beach Tour four-star event and the inaugural Zeon Scottish Beach Tour was hosted there in July.
Tricia Duncan of nearby Glamis Place, along with many of her neighbours, felt there was a “lack of communication” from the council with residents over the courts future plans and hit out at the absence of any planning permission.
Tricia feels that the North Inch area would be “better suited” for Darnhall tournaments instead of in a suburban area.
Perth City South ward councillor Willie Wilson added that he has received “a number of calls” from other residents about the courts in regards to “parking and traffic” during tournaments and “the maintenance of the court and its surroundings”.
A PKC spokesperson said the use of the site for volleyball purposes does not require planning permission because leisure and sports activities “all fall under the same land-use category”.
“There is also no planning distinction between local, regional, national or international events,” they added.
“Furthermore, as the leisure and sports use of the site is established, no controls over the number of visitors can be applied to any resulting planning permission.
“We can confirm a planning application is currently being worked on for the permanent retention of the volleyball structures – mainly for ‘raised beds’ which contain sand and do require planning permission.
"Although residents are welcome to comment on the planning application, any concerns raised relating to the use of the site for volleyball could not influence the planning decision because in this instance the use is for a sports activity, and this does not need planning permission.
“However, the council has an agreement in place with the Perth Beach Volleyball Club obligating the club to carry out community consultation on the matter.
“Subject to planning consent the concerns about future use of the facility can be addressed under the terms of the lease.”
