Noise nuisance concerns over plans to extend sports centre

Wisewood Secondary School was controversially closed last summer and its pupils were transferred to a new school known as Forge Valley as part of council plans to address falling pupil numbers. in the area.

Since then a community sports centre, built in 2004 to support Wisewood’s status as a specialist sports college has remained open and Sheffield Council now wants to add extra facilities.

But people who live nearby have lodged a series of protests about the plans for an artificial grass pitch, car parking and new on-site roads, and have called on planners to throw out the ideas.

Pupils from Wisewood School, which is in the Stannington area of the city, merged with those who attended the nearby Myers Grove secondary at the start of the school year in September. The new school was built on the Myers Grove site.

Plans to demolish the unused classrooms at Wisewood have already been passed, but councillors have decided that the sports centre should remain open and should be run to make money for the city.

The council says plans to extend pitches and opening hours to 10pm were informed by a “public consultation” but those opposing the scheme say neighbours will suffer if the proposals are approved.

One letter of representation sent to planners said: “There has been no consideration given to noise and impact upon residents, both immediately adjacent and in the nearby Seven Acres nursing home.

“It is generally considered that this proposal is unfair for its impact upon people who are in bed by 10pm as they have to get up early to go to work and people with young children.”

Another letter said: “It cannot be morally or legally right to subject young children playing in their gardens to swearing and abusive language which may come from those using the facility.”

The objection asks the council whether it has carried out any research into this, and whether any consideration has been given to the impact of bad language on local families.

Other objections refer to the use of “external lighting” over the pitches and accusations that the consultation carried out by the council was “lip service” over a decision which was already made.

Another opponent voices concerns over the council ruling on its own application, something officers said was “common”.

The plans will be examined by members of Sheffield Council’s west and north planning and highways area board at a meeting next Tuesday, and will be advised by planning officers to give their approval.

In a report to the meeting, officers say: “The siting of the pitches towards the centre of the site, and the siting and design of the lighting have all been designed so as to minimise the impact on the neighbouring properties.

“The scale of the sporting provision on site is appropriate and it is not considered that the scale of this proposed development would result in an overdevelopment of the site.

“Consideration has been given to noise, and advice sought from colleagues in environmental protection who have raised no objection to the hours proposed.

“The hours are considered reasonable, and while the personal circumstances of some residents are noted and sympathised with, it would be unreasonable to refuse planning permission on the grounds of noise.

“It is not the role of planning system to protect children or indeed people from hearing swearing or abusive language, particularly given the many sources that this can come from.

“Similarly, it would be wrong to assume that all users of the facility will swear and use abusive language.”