100 signatures reached
To: Brent council - planning, growth and regeneration department
Stop QPCS 3G Football Pitch - Updated with relevant information
REFUSE permission for the construction of a 3G Pitch associated high fencing and floodlighting within QPCS premises (Planning Application 19/1563)
Take into account residents' individual household objections, objections from interested local organisations (such as Residents' Associations), this petition, any associated paper petition, and any other evidence that may be put forward by interested parties.
Take into account residents' individual household objections, objections from interested local organisations (such as Residents' Associations), this petition, any associated paper petition, and any other evidence that may be put forward by interested parties.
Why is this important?
We believe that the construction of a 3G football pitch on a key frontage of the school will have a materially detrimental effect on the local area and its residents.
Sadly, this planning application has been put forward without any consideration for the local area and its residents. There was no dialogue, nor consultation and this scheme has is a reflection of the school’s new partnership with SchoolsPlus, whose aim it is to maximise revenue from the external letting of the school throughout the entire year, due to the profit-sharing nature of the business. They do this with no regard to the impact of the wider community
Some may think that the 3G is for the school’s exclusive use. It is not. Taking into account the proposed hours of operation throughout the year, the majority of its use will be in the form of external lets and events, which comes with a whole host of issues.
We strongly oppose the construction of the 3G pitch as we believe that it will cause:
1. An adverse and detrimental change in character of a normally quiet residential area, especially before and after school hours, during weekends and during holiday periods.
2. An increase in noise pollution due to the early arrival and late departure of external people coming to use the 3G Pitch (from 7AM up to 10PM during the week and 8AM to 8PM all weekend, year round), as well as the noise and shouting associated with events and tournaments taking place on the 3G pitch. Here is a link to a video of a a similar 3G pitch in use at 8.30pm in another part of London. Please note the noise level, despite the video being shot through trees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6K8HQwTVtk
3. An increase in damaging fine particulate air pollution due to the increase in number of people arriving to the school throughout the hours of operation of the 3G pitch, year round, as well as the inevitable idling engines whilst people wait for their slot (despite a ban on idling engines).
4. Significant light pollution through 12-metre high LED floodlighting of the 3G Pitch during weekday non-school / school club hours and most especially at weekends and during holidays. This will affect residents in their homes, local wildlife and the immediate area.
5. The removal of a key turfed area of the School premises, which is heavily used by school children for recreation during break times.
6. The carcinogenic properties of the playing surface is a real and worrying concern. The current turf would be replaced by a playing surface made from old tires and other hazardous materials, including arsenic and lead. These materials have been strongly linked to cancer and on the basis of recent developments, the health risks of 3G pitches are now impossible to ignore – Since 2016, schools in the Netherlands have been steadily ripping up their 3G pitches out of safety concerns, and "rubber crumb" - the surface used in 3G pitches - has been likened to asbestos in terms of its potential effects - so why is the school proposing to put this down and put the students and local community at risk?! In addition, if such surfaces are not kept watered constantly, when dry they are swept up by winds and carried off to the wider community. People living close to the pitches would have this "rubber crumb" surface accumulating on window sills together with dust and dirt normally carried by wind.
7. A material, detrimental effect on the biodiversity of the newly regenerated Tiverton Green. The noise and light will disturb the wildlife and especially nesting birds that have started to flock to Tiverton Green.
8. An increase in anti-social behaviour, disorder, drug and knife crime by association with undesirable individuals who already frequent the neighbourhood and especially those not normally associated with the area. Those coming to / from the pitch could be targeted, especially during the early hours of the morning and late evening hours. The Official Police Security Initiative emphasises that: “Multi-use games areas and artificial playing surfaces, usually with lighting for night time use, are expensive facilities that are often targets for intrusion, vandalism and misuse.”
9. QPCS doesn't need the pitch. Rather, it wants it solely the revenue-making opportunities that it will bring. QPCS already has 18,000 square metres of outdoor sports pitches on site – but intends to use them for only 2-3hrs per week. Sport England guidance notes indicate that with modest investment in drainage, usage of grass pitches could be increased to 6-9hrs per week.
SchoolsPlus, in conjunction with QPCS has been responsible for external lets at the school since last year. They have been responsible for disruptive events held at the school, including loud music blaring until the early hours of the morning, drones flying over the area, including over local residents’ gardens and also an event where a couple of hundred 13-17 year olds, some of whom were intoxicated, gathered on the road outside the school to try and gain entry to a party to which they had no legitimate invitation. This ended with Police having to be called and eight police cars arriving at the scene, a frightening scene for the community at large.
Furthermore, there is no plan for supervision or management to ensure the 3G Pitch is well managed, maintained and safeguarded in a way that will not have a detrimental effect on the wider community.
Finally, and importantly, there follows a connected premises license application from the school. If granted, QPCS would be able to hold regular events at the school between 10am and 11pm, at which they will also be able to serve alcohol. This in itself is concerning, but in conjunction with holding events on the 3G football pitch, even more so.
We ask for your support in objecting to this scheme together, with one voice, as a community.
Sadly, this planning application has been put forward without any consideration for the local area and its residents. There was no dialogue, nor consultation and this scheme has is a reflection of the school’s new partnership with SchoolsPlus, whose aim it is to maximise revenue from the external letting of the school throughout the entire year, due to the profit-sharing nature of the business. They do this with no regard to the impact of the wider community
Some may think that the 3G is for the school’s exclusive use. It is not. Taking into account the proposed hours of operation throughout the year, the majority of its use will be in the form of external lets and events, which comes with a whole host of issues.
We strongly oppose the construction of the 3G pitch as we believe that it will cause:
1. An adverse and detrimental change in character of a normally quiet residential area, especially before and after school hours, during weekends and during holiday periods.
2. An increase in noise pollution due to the early arrival and late departure of external people coming to use the 3G Pitch (from 7AM up to 10PM during the week and 8AM to 8PM all weekend, year round), as well as the noise and shouting associated with events and tournaments taking place on the 3G pitch. Here is a link to a video of a a similar 3G pitch in use at 8.30pm in another part of London. Please note the noise level, despite the video being shot through trees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6K8HQwTVtk
3. An increase in damaging fine particulate air pollution due to the increase in number of people arriving to the school throughout the hours of operation of the 3G pitch, year round, as well as the inevitable idling engines whilst people wait for their slot (despite a ban on idling engines).
4. Significant light pollution through 12-metre high LED floodlighting of the 3G Pitch during weekday non-school / school club hours and most especially at weekends and during holidays. This will affect residents in their homes, local wildlife and the immediate area.
5. The removal of a key turfed area of the School premises, which is heavily used by school children for recreation during break times.
6. The carcinogenic properties of the playing surface is a real and worrying concern. The current turf would be replaced by a playing surface made from old tires and other hazardous materials, including arsenic and lead. These materials have been strongly linked to cancer and on the basis of recent developments, the health risks of 3G pitches are now impossible to ignore – Since 2016, schools in the Netherlands have been steadily ripping up their 3G pitches out of safety concerns, and "rubber crumb" - the surface used in 3G pitches - has been likened to asbestos in terms of its potential effects - so why is the school proposing to put this down and put the students and local community at risk?! In addition, if such surfaces are not kept watered constantly, when dry they are swept up by winds and carried off to the wider community. People living close to the pitches would have this "rubber crumb" surface accumulating on window sills together with dust and dirt normally carried by wind.
7. A material, detrimental effect on the biodiversity of the newly regenerated Tiverton Green. The noise and light will disturb the wildlife and especially nesting birds that have started to flock to Tiverton Green.
8. An increase in anti-social behaviour, disorder, drug and knife crime by association with undesirable individuals who already frequent the neighbourhood and especially those not normally associated with the area. Those coming to / from the pitch could be targeted, especially during the early hours of the morning and late evening hours. The Official Police Security Initiative emphasises that: “Multi-use games areas and artificial playing surfaces, usually with lighting for night time use, are expensive facilities that are often targets for intrusion, vandalism and misuse.”
9. QPCS doesn't need the pitch. Rather, it wants it solely the revenue-making opportunities that it will bring. QPCS already has 18,000 square metres of outdoor sports pitches on site – but intends to use them for only 2-3hrs per week. Sport England guidance notes indicate that with modest investment in drainage, usage of grass pitches could be increased to 6-9hrs per week.
SchoolsPlus, in conjunction with QPCS has been responsible for external lets at the school since last year. They have been responsible for disruptive events held at the school, including loud music blaring until the early hours of the morning, drones flying over the area, including over local residents’ gardens and also an event where a couple of hundred 13-17 year olds, some of whom were intoxicated, gathered on the road outside the school to try and gain entry to a party to which they had no legitimate invitation. This ended with Police having to be called and eight police cars arriving at the scene, a frightening scene for the community at large.
Furthermore, there is no plan for supervision or management to ensure the 3G Pitch is well managed, maintained and safeguarded in a way that will not have a detrimental effect on the wider community.
Finally, and importantly, there follows a connected premises license application from the school. If granted, QPCS would be able to hold regular events at the school between 10am and 11pm, at which they will also be able to serve alcohol. This in itself is concerning, but in conjunction with holding events on the 3G football pitch, even more so.
We ask for your support in objecting to this scheme together, with one voice, as a community.
