A fresh application for planning permission for an artificial ’3G’ sports pitch at St James C of E Primary School in Okehampton has been submitted to West Devon Borough Council.

Alterations have been made to the plans, with the pitch to be moved 1.8 metres closer to Crediton Road and further away from neighbouring houses, following concerns raised by neighbours overlooking the site about the effect on their privacy.

The original application 1324/21/FUL was rejected last year after a resident voiced these concerns to the council, and this application 0136/22/FUL is a resubmission of that. Comments are invited from the public on the application via the planning section on WDBC’s website by February 17.

Tim Capps from Oxenham Consult, submitting the application on behalf of Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, which runs the school, said: ‘It should be noted that within this revision we have moved the development a further 1.8m towards the road (Crediton Road) away from the nearest properties so as to allow both enhanced privacy and a better maintenance access route to the north side of the fence.’

He added that the all-weather pitch would ensure that the school could have access to an artificial surface all year around and which could be used intensively due to its synthetic surface.

‘The pitch could be used for a range of sports and would be especially suitable for ball games,’ he said.

‘An artificial grass pitch (AGP) would offer potential to significantly improve the delivery of curricular and extra-curricular sport at St James Primary School.’

The application also proposes constructing a three-metre high fence around the pitch, which is an increase on the 1.8 metres outlined in the original plans, to protect the children, ‘prevent contamination, mud and misuse of the pitch’ and cut down on the number of ‘wayward balls’ making their way into neighbours’ gardens.

The fence will be made of dark green powder coated steel and will let light through, the applicants have stated.

Mr Capps said that the impact on neighbours would be ‘considerably diminished’ by moving the pitch further away from the neighbouring houses. No floodlighting for the pitch is planned.