3G pitch at Prince Henry's Grammar

Club secretary Ben Featherstone and chairman Kai Arter wrote to the Wharfedale Observer after plans for the 3G pitch went up for comment on the Leeds City Council planning portal.

The project is being backed by the Football Foundation and local sports clubs but it has drawn an angry response from some residents who are concerned about noise and light pollution as well as the impact of the scheme on parking, traffic, and air quality.

In their letter the club officials say:"The group involved in the project, including Otley Town AFC, have discussed concerns from the initial planning application two years ago and have made some significant changes to the original plans in order to mitigate these concerns."

The changes include reducing the size of the pitch and rotating it to move it away from residents, increasing the size of the acoustic fence, including a tree plantation, a wildflower meadow and wildlife pond and apple orchard, and installing bird boxes and a bat roost. No lighting will be used from May to September inclusive and there will be a strict 10pm cut off from Monday to Friday with an 8pm curfew in April and October.

The club officials say:"Our neighbours in Ilkley, Guiseley, Menston, Harrogate, Horsforth and Weetwood are all fortunate enough to benefit from a facility such as the proposed pitch at PHGS and this has had a significant impact on the ability for those local areas to provide football, and sport in general, to their local community.

They add: "The proposed development of the 3G AGP at PHGS comes with a significant funding stream from the Football Foundation and Sport England, however, the proviso for receiving this funding is that the pitch is in regular use during the day for young people and that the site is secure. These requirements mean that the proposed location on the main site at PHGS is the only location in Otley where there can be a 3G AGP installed."

But some residents are unconvinced by the arguments. One of them, Paul Hughes, from Prince Henrys Court, said: "The picture that Prince Henry's Grammar School are presenting to us residents is that the noise of 22 plus men playing football, with whistles blowing, people shouting out, swearing and cursing, balls hitting the screens etc is actually less than the sound of the field being completely empty with only birdsong, rustling leaves and distant traffic. This miracle is being achieved by the addition of a close boarded fence. How anyone can actually believe this is possible is quite incredible, and I would challenge anyone to support this being built at the bottom of their garden like the residents of Oatlands Drive etc are expected to accept."