Honiton Town Youth Football Club is preparing to leave its current temporary ground, a site that lacks basic facilities and suffers from poor access, and is eyeing a new location adjacent to Honiton Golf Club.
East Devon District Council has made it clear that planning permission will not be granted until the club can prove that stray golf balls will not pose a risk to players, spectators or nearby properties.
Safety assessment dominates the planning debate
Club chairman Jon Leisk has labelled the controversy "absolutely ridiculous", insisting that the responsibility for mitigating the risk should rest with the golf club rather than the football side.
Planning officers have acknowledged the merits of the club's proposal, yet they remain cautious about the site's long‑term sustainability and its visual impact on the surrounding landscape.
The application will be examined by the council's planning committee in the coming weeks, a decision that could set a precedent for how sporting venues share space with adjacent leisure facilities.