YOUR correspondents, Freddy Thomas and C King (Penarth Times, May 29), appear to be unaware of the hinterland of history that lies behind Stanwell School’s latest application for permission to construct an artificial-turf floodlit sports pitch on its existing rugby pitch.

For this is not so much a new initiative as a trip down memory-lane, revisiting the scene of two former applications of 1995 and 1997 when the full permission granted was subject to a number of conditions, including a limitation on the hours of use, expressly designed to preserve and protect the legitimate, long-established residential amenities of the neighbourhood.

And the Planning Inspectorate's determination of the School’s appeal against those limiting conditions specifically upheld the LPA’s position, stressing both that the floodlighting of the pitch until 9.30 at night "would have a harmful effect upon the character of the surrounding residential area", and that the noise "generated by the use of the artificial pitch would be a serious source of disturbance for nearby residents after about 7pm".

The conditions were, the Inspector concluded, "necessary to protect the residential character of the surrounding area and the peace and quiet of those living nearby".

Sadly Stanwell School has either forgotten that history or, indifferent to it, is hell-bent once more on riding roughshod over its neighbours.

Peter W Thomas

Via e-mail