Residents oppose Sheffield School’s plans for play area

A primary school could be given permission to build a multi-purpose play area (MUGA) despite 89 letters of objection.

The development at Ecclesall Primary School in Sheffield will replace the school’s existing playing fields, which developers have said cannot be used in wet weather.

Critics labeled the plans “disproportionate” to the school’s needs and raised concerns about wildlife, flooding and traffic.

Sheffield City Council’s highways and planning committee will discuss the proposal next week.

Documents submitted by the developers state that the school, which is located in a residential area, struggled to use the playing fields in wet weather due to the “sloping nature”.

It said MUGA would provide pupils with a “much improved” playing surface throughout the year.

This would be in addition to a small MUGA that has been installed to the north-east of the school as part of expansion plans over the last ten years.

The new proposal has received 105 letters of representation, of which 89 are objections, 12 are support and four are neutral, the Local Democracy Service said.

Neighbors who opposed the plans said the school’s “frequent” expansion had greatly changed the character and appearance of their homes and gardens.

Some noted that MUGA could lead to increased noise pollution for residents due to billboards and hard surfaces, as well as worsened parking and traffic conditions.

One opponent wrote: “This is very much an overdeveloped site. Every few months a new part of the land is built. This app seems to follow that trend.”

The document stated that the school “has been extended and altered over the last decade to allow for an increase in the number of pupils to around 600”.

The application originally sought permission for a MUGA and a 100m running track, but the latter has been dropped from the scheme.

The proposal was recommended for approval.