This is a petition to Brent Council to REFUSE permission for the construction of a synthetic, non-recyclable, non-sustainable 3G Pitch, associated high fencing and floodlighting, and the consequent destruction of beautiful, well-used green amenity space within QPCS premises.  (Planning Application 20/1411) 

We believe that the construction of a 3G football pitch on a key frontage of the school will have a materially detrimental effect on the environment and health, both physical and mental, of the local area and its residents.

Sadly, this planning application has been submitted by Queens Park Community School during lockdown, at time when people are beginning again to understand the value of green amenity space both for physical and mental well-being.  QPCS is treating the local area and its residents with complete contempt. After a withdrawn previous application (19/1563), this time there was no pre-application dialogue, nor consultation and this new scheme has increased the area for development by over 50%!

The material issues are:

1. Negative Impact on biodiversity - The scheme looks to bulldoze approx 5500 sq ft of green amenity space and replace it with a synthetic, polluting, non-recyclable 3G football pitch.

2. Light pollution - The 12m tall, stadium grade "blue" lighting would impact negatively on the biodiversity of a beautiful green space that houses a significant amount of nocturnal wildlife.  They would also disrupt the lives of a quiet residential community throughout the evening.

3. Noise pollution -  The proposed hours would impact negatively on the quiet residential community, and the biodiversity of a beautiful green space that houses a significant amount of wildlife. This would be felt most after school hours and into the evening (up to 9PM during the week and 9AM to 7PM all Saturdays and 10AM to 6PM all Sundays and holidays, year round), when the local area enjoys relative silence. The proposed pitch would be used u Here is an evening five a side game played in the evening and through trees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6K8HQwTVtk 

4. Significant negative environmental cost.  The increase vehicular traffic to the quiet residential area will bring with an increase in fine particulate matter and emissions.  Attached to the pitch application is a plan for parking for 100+ cars!  In addition, the non-recyclable nature of the microplastics that would be generated as the pitch degrades would harm the local environment and would bring with it material health consequences.

5. Increase in Anti Social Behaviour.  We have consulted with ex Met Police officers, who have gone on record to say that an increase in anti social behaviour is almost inevitable with this type of scheme. From petty theft to an increase in drug dealing, that is what we have been told to expect.

Please support this petition to stop this travesty.  

How you can help:
Please do as many of the following as you can:

a. Join this petition
b. Object to this planning application online (Brent Council's preferred method) at https://tinyurl.com/PitchQPCS or by emailing both sarah.dilley@brent.gov.uk and planning.comments@brent.gov.uk, quoting Planning Application 20/1411.  Even a few lines would help. For example, you can object on grounds of:

- noise
- hours of operation (evenings, weekends, holidays)
- light pollution
- environmental impact
- lack of need and material impact on character of the area

If writing by email, please clearly state that you object and also provide your address so that Brent can verify that it is a genuine objection.

c. Copy your objection to:

Either: Brondesbury Park
Cllr.Erica.Gbajumo@brent.gov.uk
Cllr.Tony.Ethapemi@brent.gov.uk
Cllr.Kieron.Gill@brent.gov.uk
Or: Queens Park
cllr.james.denselow@brent.gov.uk
cllr.eleanor.southwood@brent.gov.uk
cllr.neil.nerva@brent.gov.uk
AND MP
tulip.siddiq.mp@parliament.uk

 

Please note that Brent has extended the consultation period for this application to 27 July 2020.

_________________________________________________________________

See below for fuller details of this proposed scheme. 

Some may think that the 3G pitch is for the school’s exclusive use. It is not. Taking into account the proposed hours of operation throughout the year, the majority of its use will be in the form of external lets and events, which comes with a whole host of issues detrimental to both the environment and health of the local community.

We strongly oppose the construction of the 3G pitch as we believe that it will cause:

1. An adverse and detrimental change in character of a normally quiet residential area, especially before and after school hours, during weekends and during holiday periods.  The damage caused to the community would be wide-reaching and irreversible.

2. A material increase in noise pollution due to the early arrival and late departure of external people coming to use the 3G Pitch (up to 9PM during the week and 9AM to 7PM all Saturdays and 10AM to 6PM all Sundays and holidays, year round), as well as the noise and shouting associated with events and tournaments taking place on the 3G pitch. Here is a link to a video of a similar 3G pitch in use at 8.30pm in another part of London: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6K8HQwTVtk Please note the noise level, despite the video being shot through trees. Apart from being hugely disruptive and imposing to the residents of the local community, the almost incessant noise during the proposed hours would affect the local wildlife of the recently environmentally regenerated Tiverton Green, which neighbours the school grounds.

3. An increase in damaging fine particulate air pollution due to the increase in number of people arriving to the school throughout the hours of operation of the 3G pitch, year round, as well as the inevitable idling engines whilst people wait for their slot (despite a ban on idling engines). To highlight how much of a change this would effect on the area it is important to understand that the number of events that the school holds outside its normal hours of operation of, say 8am to 3:30pm, really is negligible.  Only a handful of events are held at weekends and during holidays.  Also, the school is not particularly easily accessible by public transport, so when external events are held, there is a huge influx of cars.  Within the planning application, QPCS has plans for 100+ parking spaces, which shows how intensively they plan for the pitch to be used.  Having potentially this many additional cars visit every day throughout the year, and all day throughout the holidays would increase fine particulate air pollution enough to have a detrimental effect on the health of the local community.

4. Significant light pollution through 12-metre high stadium grade "Blue" LED floodlighting of the 3G Pitch during weekday non-school / school club hours and most especially at weekends and during holidays. This will affect residents in their homes, local wildlife and the immediate area.
It has been proven that blue light LEDs are one of the two most disruptive to both humans and wildlife.  To have such powerful lamps disrupting the local environment on a regular basis would be unacceptable.  It is conceivable that it would lead to a drop in the numbers of local wildlife.  In addition, there are many families in the area with young children, who need to go to bed long before the last floodlight is switched off and these floodlights are strong enough to light up a room even if good blinds are fitted. 

5. The removal of a key turfed area of the School premises, which is heavily used by school children for recreation during break times.  How can the school prioritise the need of 14 children to play football at any given time over the needs of 1000+ children who use that same space for recreation and down time in between lessons?  Not only does this application point to the school's hypocritical position about it wishing to be and "eco" school but it also shows that the school has a complete disregard for the mental well-being of its pupils in taking away an area that is heavily used by the pupils to relax between classes.

6. The health and environmental implications of a 3G pitch are several.  Firstly, the proposed pitch would use a non-sustainable, non-recyclable playing surface that would need to be replaced in approximately 10 years, with the entire surface going to landfill.  In the meantime, through intensive mixed used, as the pitch degrades, it would "bleed" microplastics into the local area.  These would simply enter the soil and, in cases of finer particles, could become airborne, depositing in people's homes or being breathed in.  There are also increasing numbers of reports that playing on such synthetic, rubberised surfaces could be the cause of an increasing incidence of cancer among players who regularly play on them.  The potential carcinogenic properties of the playing surface is a real and worrying concern. It remains a political "hot potato" but increasing numbers of studies are warning against the potential carcinogenic effects of rubber - surfaced playing pitches.

7. A material, detrimental effect on the biodiversity of the area and especially the newly regenerated Tiverton Green. Not only will the biodiversity of such a large area of turf and soil be lost, but the noise and light will disturb the wildlife and especially nesting birds that have started to flock to Tiverton Green.  Other wildlife will also be materially affected by both the noise and the light and it is difficult to see how a school that sees itself as a school with "eco" credentials can apply for such a scheme.

8. An increase in anti-social behaviour, disorder, drug and knife crime by association with undesirable individuals who already frequent the neighbourhood and especially those not normally associated with the area. Those coming to / from the pitch could be targeted, especially during the early hours of the morning and late evening hours. The Official Police Security Initiative emphasises that: “Multi-use games areas and artificial playing surfaces, usually with lighting for night time use, are expensive facilities that are often targets for intrusion, vandalism and misuse.”

9. There is no "need". QPCS doesn't need the pitch. Rather, it wants it solely for the revenue-making opportunities that it will bring. QPCS already has 18,000 square metres of outdoor sports pitches on site – but intends to use them for only 2-3hrs per week. Sport England guidance notes indicate that with modest investment in drainage, usage of grass pitches could be increased to 6-9hrs per week.
In addition, there is no wider need in Brent, whether for private hire or for use by the community as the borough already has more pitches than there is demand.

10. SchoolsPlus, in conjunction with QPCS has been responsible for external lets at the school since last year. They have been responsible for disruptive events held at the school, including loud music blaring until the early hours of the morning, drones flying over the area, including over local residents’ gardens and also an event where a couple of hundred 13-17 year olds, some of whom were intoxicated, gathered on the road outside the school to try and gain entry to a party to which they had no legitimate invitation. This ended with Police having to be called and eight police cars arriving at the scene, a frightening scene for the community at large.

11. Furthermore, there is no plan for supervision or management to ensure the 3G Pitch is well managed, maintained and safeguarded in a way that will not have a detrimental effect on the wider community.

We ask for your support in objecting to this scheme together, with one voice, as a community and as humans for the environment.