‘NO surprises and little reassurances’.

That is the verdict of local residents on a planning application for an all-weather sports pitch at Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley.

The £710,000 scheme would create a floodlit facility - that could be in use seven days a week and at evenings, and would be available for hire to the wider community - on the field in front of its main building.

The project is being backed by the Football Foundation and local sports clubs but neighbouring householders, some of whose homes would be only ten metres away, fear it would ruin their quality of life.

A planning application was submitted shortly before Christmas but has done little to allay those concerns.

A local resident said: “Residents will be objecting strongly to the school’s planning application.

“The application contains no surprises and offers little reassurance that our lives will not be severely disrupted by the proposed pitch.”

The plan, reference number 18/07783/FU, is for the ‘creation of a new Artificial Grass Pitch’ that would include a 4.5 metre high fence, floodlights and entrance gates.

The facility would also have a 2 metre high and 1.2 metre high pitch perimeter barrier and a 3.5 metre high ‘acoustic barrier’ designed to prevent noise spreading.

Residents have listed noise and light pollution among their top concerns, and are also worried about the impact of the scheme on parking, traffic and air quality.