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Jan 2021

Last Updated: 04/01/2021

Education

Surge of public support for St Aidan's floodlit pitch plans

by Thomas Barrett

| 05 Jan, 2021

Almost 100 people in a week have voiced their support to the council regarding St Aidan's secondary school's plans to build a floodlit artificial sports pitch.

Over 100 people in a week have voiced their support to the council about St Aidan's secondary school's plans to build a floodlit artificial sports pitch.

The school said the pitch is "urgently required" but nearby residents in Harrogate have complained the 15-metre high floodlights would cause light pollution to their homes and the Stray.

Harrogate Borough Council's planning committee will meet at 2pm today to consider the planning application, which has been recommended for refusal in a council report.

The report said noise and lights from the pitch would have a "significant adverse impact" on the surrounding area even though it says a new pitch would benefit the school and local football teams:

"Whilst the proposal undoubtedly involves public benefits arising from the development, these do not outweigh the harm of the impact of the development on residential amenity and the character and appearance of the Conservation Area."

Last week on HBC's planning portal, the application had 40 objections and three in support.

However, since the Stray Ferret story about the plans was published on Tuesday, there has been a surge of comments in favour, with 107 comments in support and 41 objections.

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Many people also posted on social media in support of the application. One pleaded with local residents to be "selfless":

"Come on local residents, please be selfless about this : think about someone outside of you. In particular, young people who have been absolutely bulldozed over this year. How many of you bought your houses when the school was already built...? Exactly. I’m sure there could be restrictions in place, 9pm cut off or something. Time for a bit of grace I think rather than it being all about you..."

One person quipped about an objection from the Stray Defence Association, which said the floodlights would have an "immense and detrimental" on the nearby Stray:

"First the Stray is exposed to rain, bicycles and mud and now there’s a chance it will be exposed to light. These are very dark times."

The Stray Ferret will report on the outcome of the planning meeting later today.

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Surge of public support for St Aidan's floodlit pitch plans

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