King’s Ely promises ‘noise monitor’ if all-weather sports area goes ahead

King’s Ely has promised that a “nominated noise monitoring supervisor” will keep watch when a proposed new all-weather sports area is in use.

The school wants to build an external artificial grass pitch with perimeter ball-stop fencing, retaining walls and artificial lighting at Barton Road, Ely.

The school says the nominated supervisor will check on noise levels if the scheme is given the go ahead.

Other duties of the noise monitor will be ensuring the maximum user capacity of the facility is not exceeded.

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King’s Ely wants to build an external artificial grass pitch with perimeter ball-stop fencing, retaining walls and artificial lighting at Barton Road, Ely.

“Only pre-booked lettings under a signed lettings agreement will be permitted to use the facility,” says the school.

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“All clients as part of the letting’s agreement will sign up to a code of conduct which includes arriving and leaving the site plus expectations whilst on site.

“The supervisor liaises with clients to ensure noise management policies and the code of conduct are adhered to.”

In a statement submitted to planners alongside their application, King’s Ely says “a clear and reliable mechanism is provided whereby noise complaints can be made, logged, and acted upon by way of a formal complaint’s procedure.

King’s Ely say pitches will have ‘clean access’ such as this

“Liaison with stake holders and interested parties is undertaken to ensure the noise management plan remains effective and revisions are applied accordingly with a draft noise management plan.”

The site forms part of much larger sports facilities within the ground of King’s School, Ely.

King’s says the development would be of sufficient benefit to the development of sport as to outweigh the detriment caused by the loss of the playing field or playing fields.

“The proposal has been designed to minimise impact on residential amenity,” says an accompanying design statement.

“The proposal will result in a minimal impact on biodiversity/ecology.

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“The proposal provides adequate on-site parking and necessary traffic management to meet the needs of the development and would not result in any harm to the safety of the surrounding public highway network.”

The area in question comprises of the playing fields that are used by the school that is directly south of the existing artificial turf pitch.

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The actual sports played depends on the time of year.

King’s says the lighting and use already exists for the existing artificial hockey pitch and no use of floodlighting is proposed after 10pm on any one day throughout the year.

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King’s Ely all weather location

“It is proposed that use of the pitch will be offered to the community for use when not required by the school,” says the school’s supporting statement to East Cambs planners.

“It is important to appreciate that the development does not form any additional floor space as the material nature of the development is for a sports pitch with sports surfacing to replicate the existing natural turf playing field.”

The amount of development for each sport is proposed as follows: • Artificial turf pitch area = 5,977sqm • Hardstanding areas = 464sqm • Total Development area = 6,441sqm

“The proximity of onsite car parking is ideal for community involvement and participation,” says Surfacing Standards Ltd, the company submitting the application on behalf of King’s.

The company says some footpaths may need to be re-routed, and this work is being undertaken by King’s Ely School through Cheffins Rural Professionals.

New perimeter fencing is required around the external artificial grass pitches to provide an adequate ball-stop to retain balls and to offer a degree of security to the facility.

“The proposed overall height for new open steel mesh fencing and entrance gates to all external elevations will be 4.50m above ground level and tie in with the height, aesthetic look, and nature of the existing all-weather pitch,” says the application.

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Floodlighting: The existing all-weather pitch currently holds 8no. 15m high floodlighting columns with metal halide heads to serve the pitch for sporting standards of a 350lux scheme.

King’s say the existing lighting system is over 25 years old, and the lights that are currently used are angled vertically and create a high volume of spillage to the surrounds.

The second all weather pitch at King’s Ely School will have its lighting development with LED lighting system that offers a reduction in power usage and the carbon footprint “whilst also significantly reducing the spillage to the surrounds.

“The new LED sports lights are required around the pitch to facilitate use during evenings and throughout the winter months”.

King’s says perimeter fencing is necessary around an Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP), to “ensure the adequate long-term protection of the valuable asset for a variety of vital reasons”.

These include containing balls within the pitch, to protect the playing surface from contamination and to help prevent unauthorised use and vandalism.

“With the proposal located within the secured playing field, we consider perimeter fencing around the facility will be unobtrusive to the immediate adjacent environment,” says the design statement.

The proposed development will require “the substantial removal and development” of a proportion of grassed land at King’s Ely’s playing field.

“However, a variety of efficiencies will be applied to the construction stage to mitigate environmental impact and benefit the carbon footprint of the development,” says the design statement.