If the question is 'Could the club have been reasonably expected to have done more?', then for me the answer yes.
I was highlighting the fact that there was an option for the club to have the decision makers look over their submission ahead of time. This would have allowed them to deal with some of the concerns/objections raised in a more timely fashion and might have even avoided the situation that has now arisen.
From my following of what's happened, nobody with the planning dept has objected to anything (it's not their place to do so). What they have done is highlighted areas where the proposal does not meet planning requirements.
You'll also get no argument from me that the last planning meeting was a shambles. Having realised that only 5 of the planning committee were eligible to vote the chair should have not allowed it and immediately referred it to full council for a decision. By allowing it and then asking for it to be referred, especially given how he voted, the chair has opened himself and his peers up to accusations of foul play.
People keep saying that all concerns and objections were met, but that is also not the case. The loss of protected green land was not satisfactorily addressed, which is why it was still recommended for rejection. There were also still a number of conditions to be attached to address remaining concerns on other aspects and it's not certain all of these can/will be met. Even of it is accepted at full council, there's no guarantee the club gets a pay day. Conveniently they will have created enough of a shitstorm to then blame it on delays and everyone else messing them around. As I said at the start of this post, they refused an option which could easily have expedited things.