A planning committee is set to consider whether artificial sporting facilities and associated floodlighting should receive approval at a site situated adjacent to an open-air performance venue in the area.
Brighton, Hove And Sussex VI Form College submitted the proposal for the northern section of its recreation ground.
The application has generated an exceptional volume of opposition compared to typical planning submissions in the locality.
Critics of the scheme express concern that illuminated sporting facilities operating in close proximity to the Brighton Open Air Theatre located within Dyke Road Park would adversely affect performances through excessive illumination and acoustic disturbance.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s planning committee will examine the application, which was originally filed in November.
The submission seeks consent for constructing an artificial turf surface and multi-use games area alongside supporting infrastructure comprising illumination equipment, wheelchair-accessible ramps, paved surfaces and a storage unit.
Documentation presented to the committee established that acoustic levels generated by the facilities would be clearly perceptible from the theatre and could substantially interfere with productions.
To mitigate these concerns, the applicant proposed significant restrictions on operating periods, limiting usage until 10pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 7pm Wednesday through Friday and 2pm on Saturdays, with further limitations to 4pm Wednesday to Friday when educational institutions are not in session.
These earlier restrictions represent a reduction of three hours on midweek evenings during term time and six hours during holiday periods, alongside a four-hour advancement of Saturday closing times.
The illumination systems would operate under identical constraints.
A draft community usage agreement accompanying the application incorporates provisions for arranging additional early closures through direct negotiation between the college and the theatre on an individual basis.
The committee documentation indicated that the theatre anticipates hosting 125 productions throughout the current year.
Implementation of the revised scheduling would result in simultaneous usage of the sporting facilities and theatrical performances on merely seven occasions.
The report acknowledged that some conflict would persist, with numerous instances featuring no interval between the conclusion of sporting activities and commencement of shows, while also noting that the theatre’s programme remains susceptible to modification.
Consequently, the degree of scheduling conflict could fluctuate between different years.
The committee document stated that imposing a comprehensive prohibition on sporting facility usage during certain periods within the theatre’s five-month performance season would not constitute a proportionate requirement.
The report clarified that refusal of planning consent would not prevent utilisation of existing natural turf surfaces when illumination is not required, with comparable acoustic levels anticipated.
The surrounding environment was noted as not presently free from ambient sound.
Proposed acoustic management strategies encompass installing vibration dampening systems on perimeter fencing, limiting the use of whistles and implementing a code of conduct to promote considerate behaviour among facility users.
Significant spectator gatherings were deemed improbable given the modest dimensions of the artificial surfaces and lack of spectator accommodation infrastructure.
Concerns were also raised by representatives of the Friends of Dyke Road Park regarding potential ecological consequences of constructing an artificial sporting surface in the vicinity.
The local authority received 78 correspondence expressing support for the development.
The committee report concluded that sporting benefits derived from the scheme, combined with proposed pollution containment measures, restricted operating schedules designed to minimise disruption to the majority of theatrical productions and implemented acoustic mitigation strategies, collectively provide sufficient justification to warrant approval in principle.
The planning committee will convene at 2pm the following Wednesday at Hove Town Hall, with proceedings scheduled to be broadcast via webcast.