NEW bosses at Avon Ski and Action Centre have been warned to apply for planning permission to carry on holding outdoor sports activities after being told they do not have the right consent from council planners. Managers at the centre in Churchill claim

NEW bosses at Avon Ski and Action Centre have been warned to apply for planning permission to carry on holding outdoor sports activities after being told they do not have the right consent from council planners. Managers at the centre in Churchill claim the activities, including rifle and pistol shooting, horse riding and orienteering, have run for more than 10 years, making them exempt from requiring planning permission. But North Somerset Council planning officials say there is not enough evidence to prove it.At a recent south area planning meeting, councillors refused to give the centre a certificate of lawfulness, which now means the owners must apply for planning permission in order for the activities to continue. Residents living near the centre have also complained about noise from clay pigeon shooting and quad biking.Linda Bellinger, aged 71, whose house backs on to the centre, said: "There is noise and light pollution from the centre and since it opened an awful lot of trees seem to have been cut down."It has taken away our privacy. Before we had a wood at the back of our house but now the ski slopes look down on us."Nigel Salmon, who is handling planning issues on behalf of Avon Ski and Action Centre, said: "I am aware a certificate of lawfulness was rejected. We will be carrying out a noise study in the future to assess the impact of quad biking and clay pigeon shooting. "Once we have the results of these studies a planning application will be made to the council for these activities to continue.