THE risk of wayward golf balls appears to have dashed the chances of a Devon town’s youth football club securing a vital new home.

Supporters of Honiton Town Youth Football club packed the public gallery during an at-times lively meeting as planners debated their bid to relocate to land west of Tower Road.

A central issue rested on the potential risk of golf balls being inadvertently hit onto the football pitch from the existing golf course, which is next to the proposed site.

Planning officers cited national planning rules that suggest it is up to the applicant – as the so-called agent of change – to oversee responsibility for such risks.

But the club refuted that, stating that its own independent legal advice had suggested that even if the football club undertook a ball strike assessment to ascertain the risk of stray golf balls, that was tantamount to them accepting risk for the issue.

In the proverbial on-pitch battle, the club stressed that it had exhausted all other possible options and had concluded only the proposed site was suitable and available.

It added its current facilities were inadequate, with no toilets, changing rooms, or running water, with inadequate access that would prevent spectators in wheelchairs watching their children or grandchildren playing.

The meeting also featured a district councillor brandishing a bag of golf balls he claimed had been retrieved from a different neighbouring field to Honiton Golf Club, and a headteacher, Christopher Tribble, speaking out against criticisms of children missing school to attend the planning meeting.

“I’m devastated,” said John Leisk, the chairman of Honiton Town Youth Football Club, who has worked on the plans for around five years.

Asked if the club would appeal the decision, he said: “We will have to have discussions with our legal team but we owe it to the children and families of the club as we cannot let football in Honiton die.”

Mr Leisk called the decision to refuse the club’s plans “short-sighted”, and stressed that the club’s lease at its existing location had already lapsed and so it was only able to remain there on goodwill.

“There is no plan B,” he stated, adding: “We’re holding over on the current lease and could be asked to leave at any point.”

Speaking after the decision, the planning committee chair, Councillor Eileen Wragg (Liberal Democrat, Exmouth Town), said the decision had been made because of the element of risk to the public and young people.

“We gave it a lot of thought and there was support for approval but we believed that the risk [presented by potential wayward golf balls] outweighed that,” she said.

Cllr Wragg added that if the committee had approved it, it could have “gone to judicial review which would cost a lot of money”.

“The committee offered to defer the decision until an assessment had been carried out but the football club refused point blank,” she added.

Andrew Lord, who attended the meeting with his 10-year-old son, Jaxon, said he could not see what alternative options were available for the club.

Mr Lord, who also coaches for the club, claimed an assessment of the current risk of wayward golf balls had been carried out by a third-party.

“It’s already deemed a low risk,” he said.