About 3 years back i had a similar problem! I had a 4 person fishing pitch on a Scottish island shoreline and applied to the local angling club for a permit to stage professional competitions from my pitch. The local angling club Roding From Lewis (RFL) confirmed that i couldn't as my pitch only catered for 4 people not the 10 required to hold professional competitions. Although if i raised my pitch numbers from 4 to 10 within 3 years i could apply again! I worked hard for 3 years and raised my pitch size from 4 to 10 and during this time catered for amateur competitions. Indeed on 2 occasions my pitch recieved runners up in 2 competitions and actually won 1! This combined with the revenue i earn't from the said competitions i thought would stand me in good stead. I did have a couple of problems along the way ie. One year an angler form another pitch sat in mine and got me disqualified from a competition as the competition had already started. On another day i poached a lad from another pitch much to the disgust of the rival pitch owner but i think i got away with that one! I waited for the day when my application would be judged only to find out that a current professional pitch owner who had let his pitch fall into rack and ruin recieved the final place for holding competetions saying he had bought another pitch down the way and he would have it operational within 2 years. Ironically i found out this was also the case 3 years previously!

As my case is very similar could someone keep me updated as to the progress of any appeal please. In the meantime i will be finding some WOOD to fill in a big hole that has appeared on my land. I am told i will only need 1 piece of WOOD to fill it to the Rimmer!