A York school has dropped plans to build new floodlit sports pitches after council officers recommended they be refused.
St Peter’s School had applied for permission to create a floodlit hockey pitch, tennis/netball courts and cricket nets, plus access, car parking and coach drop-off areas.
But it has withdrawn the application, just days before the planning committee was due to discuss them.
The plans included a 126-seat viewing stand with a spectator standing area and 78 parking spaces.
It would have meant Westminster Road being turned from a closed street into a through route for coaches and cars.
The application sparked major opposition from local residents who urged councillors to reject the plans and protect them from the “disastrous environmental impact of traffic congestion”
York Central MP Rachael Maskell called on St Peter’s School to withdraw the plan which had “significant flooding implications”.
The final straw proved to be a report by City of York Council officers to the planning committee.
The report reads: “No account has been taken of a reasonable worst-case scenario involving a large number of pitch users arriving at the same time or in quick succession.
“No account has also been taken of the sound of engines idling in Westminster Road in the vicinity of the junction.
“In terms of spectator noise whilst it is acknowledged that the applicant is willing to accept a restriction on usage of the spectator stand no account has been taken of the impact of spectator noise at all particularly bearing in mind the elevated nature of the site and the elevated nature of the stand.”
The site is located on York’s Green Belt and there are also concerns noted in the report about biodiversity.
It reads: “Overall, it is considered that any further development of the land would have detrimental and irreversible impacts to the river corridor, its associated faunal and faunal assemblage, and correspondingly the nationally significant wildlife site – Clifton Ings and Rawcliffe Meadows Sites of Special Scientific Interest.”
In response, a spokesperson for St Peter’s School said: “With some remaining matters to conclude, and insufficient time now to resolve them, we have taken the decision to withdraw the current planning application.
“This will allow us further time to continue our discussions with the council, and other stakeholders, and to resolve outstanding matters.
“We remain committed to improving both the transport arrangements in the area and sporting facilities for the school and wider community.
“We will provide further updates as we move forward.”
Additional reporting: Adam Laver, local democracy reporter