Olympic trap shooting champion Nathan Hales and world champion Fletcher Gillingham have voiced their support for Polowood Shooting Ground in Sussex, as the club continues its planning battle with local residents.
Polowood, located at St Mary’s Farm north of Falmer, has been in dispute over the noise and frequency of clay target shooting. Following complaints, the ground applied in December 2022 for a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) to confirm its use for clay shooting. The certificate was granted, but with a condition limiting shooting to 52 days per year.
In February 2025, Polowood submitted a new planning application seeking to increase that limit, arguing that “a business cannot survive if it can only trade for 52 days a year.” The latest proposal would permit 19 hours of clay target shooting per week and has so far received 100 letters of support and just one objection.
Among the supporters are current world champion Fletcher Gillingham and Olympic gold medallist Nathan Hales. Gillingham told Sussex newspaper, The Argus: “Polowood Shooting Ground has been instrumental in my development and success as a competitive clay pigeon shooter. I owe much of my journey to this very ground. Polowood is not just a place to train, it is a cornerstone of our local sporting community. Its closure would not only jeopardise the future of aspiring shooters but also dismantle a legacy of sporting excellence that has produced champions like myself.”
Hales, who won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, told The Argus: “I have always enjoyed shooting at Polowood. It is an excellent facility. Having a place for people to come and try shooting in Sussex is such an important factor in growing our sport, and keeping it alive for future generations.”
Polowood owner Gary Coomber described the new proposal as a “fair and reasonable compromise all round,” adding: “It’s impossible to operate this type of business without creating some noise and traffic. But we’ve listened to concerns and made significant efforts to try to address these. This is our livelihood and we’re proud of what we’ve built here. It would be a very sad day for us, and a great loss to many, if we were forced to close our doors.”