Plans for a new multi-use, all weather sports pitch at a top York school are set for a decision.
City of York Council planning officers have recommended approving St Peter’s School’s application to build a new multi-use games area (MUGA) at the south east edge of its Clifton campus.
The school’s plans stated it would substantially enhance its on-site sports facilities and any increase in noise levels would be kept at acceptable levels.
But 15 objections have been lodged including from local councillors claiming the development would be overbearing and disturb neighbouring households.
It comes as the application is set to go before the council’s planning committee on Monday, April 13.
Plans from the private school, which is the fourth-oldest in the world, were first lodged in December.
They would see an astroturf pitch built and marked for a range of sports such as football, tennis and netball, with those details to be decided at a later date.
The pitch would be built in an area currently used informally by pupils at break times at the back of homes on the neighbouring North Parade.
It would mainly be used by pupils in years seven and eight who currently face a lack of pitches at the school site.
Pupils boarding at the school would be able to use it to practice early in the evenings and at weekends.
The new pitch is not designed for competitive use and there are no plans to offer it to sports clubs or others outside the school.
There are also no plans for floodlights which would require separate planning permission if the school wanted to install it at a later date.
Under-used
St Peter’s plans stated it would allow a currently under-used part of the school’s campus to be redeveloped.
The plans stated: “The area of grass proposed for the MUGA is primarily used for the storage of cricket covers and screens.
“The enhancement to education provision provided by the proposal and the public benefit arising from increasing the opportunity for participation in sport for both boys and girls by increasing access to sports and recreation facilities and promoting the welfare of its pupils is significant.”
But objectors including local Labour ward councillors Danny Myers and Margaret Wells claimed nearby residents would be disturbed during construction and when the pitches are used.
They also claimed lighting would eventually be needed at the site, causing further harm, and calculations about the noise effects were not robust enough.
Concerns were also raised about the flow of surface water from the site to nearby homes and about the wider impact on the Clifton Conservation Area.
Council planning officers stated the development would help fill a gap in provision for sports facilities at the school, outweighing potential harm to the conservation area.
They added any additional noise and disturbance could be limited to acceptable levels with conditions on the application.
Plans set to be heard on Monday follow the withdrawal of an application lodged in 2022 for flood-lit hockey pitches, tennis and netball courts and cricket nets.
The school pulled the plans, which also included a 126-seat spectator stand and car and coach parking, in February 2024 after hundreds of objections.
