Disappointment as local group’s effort to save Sheffield school’s green space from MUGA fails

Despite vocal objections from parents and local residents, Sheffield City Council’s planning committee approved Ecclesall Primary School’s proposal to install a new MUGA on school grounds.

Concerns had previously been raised over flooding, drainage, and the potential loss of biodiversity. These issues were at the forefront of the campaign against the development.

Following the planning meeting on April 29, Tessa Lupton, a parent and campaigner, shared her frustration with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), saying she and others “just feel absolutely devastated by this.”

She continued: “When I tell my daughter that we’ve lost and the field is going to get ripped off and there is going to be a massive MUGA… I literally could cry. The amount of work has been put in by our campaign group on this…

“Ann (Blanchflower) and other members of the group had to become drainage experts. Ann will have known more about that drainage than all the councillors in that room.”

Ms Lupton also criticised the process, calling the planning report “inaccurate and misleading” and claiming that councillors were misinformed.

“It’s just wrong, it’s not a democratic process,” she added.

Fellow campaigner and local resident Ann Blanchflower said it appeared “there were people leading the vote which seemed to be terribly unfair.”

She described feeling patronised during the meeting and said they were not provided with adequate information.

“I felt absolutely disgusted because I’ve had to try and become a drainage expert, a planning expert… We shouldn’t have to do that, we should be able to trust an applicant that’s a school, and the council,” she said.

Ms Blanchflower noted that no drainage condition had been included in the planning approval, leaving her “terrified” for the safety of nearby homes.

As for the next steps, campaigners admit their options are limited. However, Ms Lupton said the school had promised to consult with the community once it better understood what it can actually do.

In front of Sheffield Town Hall, Cllr Peter Gilbert, ward councillor for Ecclesall, voiced his disappointment too: “I’m really disappointed that residents’ genuine concerns have not been listened to. Before attempting to fix a problem that has been caused by neglect of the site, surely, the school should first try to remedy the situation by maintaining the grass.

“It’s ironic that in the same week that the council launches its climate adaptation program for schools, Built for Change, that it is granting permission for something that will make climate risks even greater for the local area.”

He added that this decision represents the “last nail in the coffin,” consigning to history what has been “a cherished open grass playing field for generations.”

At the meeting, Cllr Barbara Masters, also representing Ecclesall, told the chamber that the progress of this application has eroded trust in the school and its intentions in pursuing the creation of the MUGA.

She added: “It’s regrettable that the school still wishes to pursue this when the council is rolling out its climate programme for schools Built for Change where water and flooding, and play surfaces and excess heat and their link to child development are explored and the government will expect all schools to complete a climate action plan.”

She later told the LDRS: “I’m disappointed, especially that no conditions had been put on the school to honour any of the agreements and to sort of prove or show that this will improve the situation.”

The approved MUGA will measure approximately 45 metres by 30 metres and will be located along the eastern boundary of the school site, next to properties on Edale Road