Last month we reported on planning issues raised at the T&PRA’s AGM held on the 23rd March. Many residents were concerned about Shawley School’s plans to build three 5- a-side artificial grass pitches on the field behind the school.

It was agreed at that meeting to hold a further meeting between our local councillors and a number of concerned residents with specialist knowledge of the issues (particularly experience with the use of such pitches and their impact on the community). This was held on the 20th April.

At this meeting it was agreed that the major concerns were :

  • The lack of a realistic transport and parking plan
  • Restrictions on use by teenagers and adults
  • Hours of operation, light pollution, noise and disturbance, operational control of the site – all issues raised in the Council-commissioned Environmental Report
  • The impact on wildlife in the area.

Residents commented that the transport plan submitted with the school’s planning application only related to  normal school activity and did not actually address the additional traffic and parking issues that would arise should the school be renting out these pitches out of school hours. It was noted that a number of other schools in the Leo Academy (who now manage the school) were letting out pitches.

The Council-commissioned Environmental Report, now included in the planning documentation helpfully amplifies a number of concerns raised by residents. These include “significant potential to cause harm to neighbour amenity. It will afford limited respite to local residents at weekends and evenings when it can be reasonably expected they will wish to be enjoying their gardens or have windows open.”   The report goes on to comment on a significant impact of noise in surrounding areas (including those not bordering on the school) and that the glow from artificial lighting is “likely to appreciably alter the character of this area.” It concludes “there are potentially significant concerns in respect of the amenity impacts of the proposal on neighbouring residents.”

It has also been noted that a colony of bats currently live on the school premises. The use of artificial lighting is likely to have significant impact on these and other animals living on the site.

Although our local Councillors met with Leo management earlier in the year, no response to the issues raised has been received.  It was therefore agreed that the local residents would draft a letter to all residents in the affected area, with the support of the Residents Association, detailing their concerns. It would urge local residents affected by this planning proposal to continue to lodge their concerns with Reigate & Banstead’s planning department.

A further meeting will be held on the 17th May to review the situation.

Residents in the area should shortly receive an updated newsletter from the residents group requesting support by contacting Reigate & Banstead’s Planning Department to register local concerns.