Haydon School has secured planning permission for a new all-weather sports pitch, which will enhance sporting facilities for both the school and the wider community.
The Hillingdon Planning Committee approved the application on Thursday, 4 June 2026, for the construction of an Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP) with associated development, including perimeter fencing, hardstanding areas, a storage container, floodlights, and an access footpath. The new pitch aims to provide enhanced all-weather sports provision, allowing for year-round use and reducing the number of cancelled matches and lessons due to weather conditions.
The facility will be available for school use during curriculum and extracurricular hours, with community bookings permitted outside of school times. To manage community access and prevent conflicts with school activities, a Community Use Agreement is proposed to be secured by condition. This agreement will detail pricing policy, hours of use, access for non-educational users, management responsibilities, and a review mechanism.
Concerns were raised by local residents regarding noise, light pollution, traffic, parking, drainage, residential amenity, and environmental impacts. However, the planning committee, after reviewing technical assessments and mitigation measures, concluded that these concerns were outweighed by the significant sporting and community benefits.
To address noise concerns, the applicant submitted a Noise Impact Assessment and a draft Noise Management Plan. The Noise Officer raised no objection, stating that significant adverse noise impact is unlikely. For light pollution, a Sports Lighting Statement, Floodlighting Performance Report, and lux contour modelling were provided. The proposed LED luminaires are directional to minimise sky glow and light spill. Conditions have been imposed to ensure compliance with approved lighting reports, operational controls, and post-installation testing.
The revised proposal was repositioned further away from residential properties and reduced in scale compared to a previously refused scheme. Conditions have also been imposed to manage noise, lighting, construction, and community use, ensuring the development operates responsibly and minimises disruption.
The AGP will require engineering operations to create a level surface, involving cut and fill earthworks. The proposed hours of use have been agreed to be 08:00–21:00 Monday to Friday (with a final curfew of 21:15), 08:00–20:00 on Saturdays (final curfew 20:15), and 09:00–18:00 on Sundays and Bank Holidays (final curfew 18:15). Floodlighting will be extinguished shortly after the final curfew.
Sport England raised no objection, considering the sporting and community benefits to be significant and outweighing the limited loss of existing grass playing field provision. The development is expected to support increased participation in sport and provide a much-needed all-weather facility for local football clubs and the school. The meeting information notes the potential use by local football clubs and the impact on existing cricket wickets, athletics markings, and a rugby pitch, though specific prioritisation of sports or detailed impact on existing programmes was not provided.
More information can be found in the public reports pack for the Hillingdon Planning Committee meeting on 4 June 2026: Public reports pack.
