PLANS to develop housing and sports facilities on parts of school fields continue to attract controversy.

Varndean College in Brighton wants to install an Astroturf pitch and eight 4.5 metre floodlights. It follows its first request to build ten houses.

It claims the funds raised by the residential development project will be used to fund an all-weather pitch which will be for the use of other schools and community groups as well as the college itself.

But a spokeswoman for the Green Varndean Action Group, which campaigns against the sale of the college’s fields, told The Argus: “We are encouraging people to oppose the floodlit all-weather pitch.

“Our view is that this is being used to justify the sale of the land for housing.

“Given the existing good provision of sports pitches and a newly created all-weather pitch within a short distance (at Dorothy Stringer School), it is hard to see the need.

“And whatever this ‘need’, it does not ‘clearly outweigh the loss’, a requirement of the National Planning Policy Framework.”

Residents and activists’ concerns over the sports pitch include light and noise pollution, parking, the toxicity of the plastic used, its impact on local wildlife and further loss of green space.

In a letter to parents and carers of students at Varndean College, principal Phil Harland said: “Most families in Brighton and Hove would agree that our decision to invest the money we get from Government in the education of our young people is the right decision but the consequence of that is there is precious little left to invest in our buildings.

“The alternative – to offer an impoverished educational experience to our 16 to 18-year-olds which is cheaper to deliver in order to invest in buildings – is something we have rejected.

“The fact of the matter is, in order to serve our whole community well we need more and better facilities, including enhancing the facilities for sport.”

John Davies, of the Green Varndean action group, said: “I don’t understand why the college didn’t come to local residents right at the start of the process, years ago. We’ve all had children at the college, or know people who work there and most of us are very sympathetic to the college’s dire financial situation.”

Ex-community governor of Varndean Corporation, Anton Pruden said: “Over the last few years, this was particularly difficult as successful marketing led to an increase in student learners.

“This coincided with a speculative offer from a developer for the site in question. The risk of an unfavourable Ofsted financial score was always cited in every meeting I attended.

“With such pressure, the selling off of green spaces such as this will not stop.”