Plans put forward for new 3G football pitch at Eastbourne school
A planning application for the installation of a 3G all-weather pitch at St Catherine’s College in Eastbourne has been submitted to Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC).
The plans propose a new 73.15m x 45.72m nine-a-side football 3G artificial turf pitch with fencing and floodlighting to be located on the existing natural turf playing field.
The development would be adjacent to the existing sports hall in the south corner of the playing fields and accessible from the existing network of footpaths and areas of hard standing around the sports hall.
The school’s external space already includes natural turf football pitches, a 400m running track, a long jump pit, various demarked areas for athletics and recreational areas.
A spokesperson for the school wrote in the application that the current natural surface gets ‘very boggy and churned up during the wet winter months’.
They said: “When the pitch is not able to be used during the wet months the school need to revert to theory lessons in classrooms.
“Without the field they do not have enough indoor space for teaching PE.
“The 3G pitch will mean that children can be taught PE when they are timetabled for this and it will ease any disruption.”
The Environment Agency has objected to the proposal as the works would take place within eight metres of a watercourse.
A spokesperson said: “The proposed development would restrict maintenance and emergency access to the watercourse necessary to reduce flood risk at this location and the wider area.
“The permanent retention of a continuous unobstructed area is an essential requirement for future maintenance, emergency works and/or improvement works.”
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