Plans for new school sports pitch to be decided

Plans for a new multi-use, all-weather sports pitch at a fee-paying boarding school are set to be decided.

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 claims the development would disturb neighbours.

The application is due to go before the council's planning committee on 13 April.

Plans from the private school, which were first lodged in December, would see an astroturf pitch built in an area currently used informally by pupils at break times at the back of homes on the neighbouring North Parade, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It would mainly be used by pupils in years seven and eight, while children boarding at the school would be able to use it early in the evenings and at weekends.

The new pitch is not designed for competitive use and there are no plans to hire it out to sports clubs or other external bodies.

There are also no plans for floodlights, which would require separate planning permission if the school wanted to install them at a later date.

St Peter's stated it would allow a currently underused part of the campus to be redeveloped. Currently the area is used for storing cricket equipment.

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 predictions 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 floodlit 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.

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