Complaint
During an item about plans by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) to develop an adjacent site, reference was made to the site being “a private golf course”. A viewer complained this showed bias in favour of the AELTC’s plans, because its opponents were arguing that the site was public trust land, held for the purposes of public recreation. The ECU considered whether the broadcast met the editorial standards for impartiality set out in the BBC Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
The report was prompted by a decision to approve the AELTC’s planning application.
The ECU noted that public rights in relation to the golf course were a matter of debate, but considered viewers would have understood there were differing views on the development itself. Both sides were reflected in the report and in this context there was no requirement to explain the status of the land in detail.
Not Upheld