Residents are outraged as Cornwallis Academy is barred from using its new pitch over referee whistle noise complaints
Maidstone: So, there’s this big fuss going on at Cornwallis Academy. They’ve got this shiny new 3G pitch that cost a whopping £700k, but guess what? They can’t use it! Since August, the school has been completely shut out from using it, and it’s all because of noise complaints from the neighbors.
It’s not even about safety or anything like that. Nope, it’s the sound of referees’ whistles that’s causing all the drama. The locals are saying it’s too loud, and it’s driving them nuts. The students can’t play on it, and the school can’t rent it out to local teams either, which is a bummer for their budget.
Here’s the kicker: when the school first asked for permission to build the pitch, they promised it would be available for community use after school hours. But the council got worried about the noise it would create for the neighbors. They could’ve built a sound barrier, but instead, the school just did a theoretical noise study that said the whistles would be the main issue.
So, they agreed to a ‘no-whistle’ rule for games outside school hours. But that plan went out the window, and now the neighbors are complaining about the noise at all hours, even on weekends. One resident got so fed up that they reported the council for not enforcing the rules, which led to the council threatening the school with action.
Now, because the school didn’t stick to the rules, they can’t use the pitch at all, even during school hours. Both the school and the council are scrambling to fix this mess. The school even got a new noise study done, claiming the pitch isn’t that noisy anymore, but many neighbors disagree.
Planning officers are now questioning if they even had the right to impose that no-whistle rule in the first place. They’re looking into whether it’s reasonable or enforceable. Meanwhile, a new application to lift the ban has been submitted, but the council’s environmental health officer is siding with the neighbors, saying the noise is just too much.
There’s a meeting coming up where the council will decide what to do next. So far, they’ve received a bunch of letters supporting the lifting of the ban, but there are also quite a few against it. Some residents are really feeling the impact of the noise, especially those with kids who can’t sleep because of it.
It’s a real mess, and everyone’s hoping for a solution that works for both the school and the community. The school says they need that pitch for their physical education program, especially when the weather’s bad. They’re just trying to be a good neighbor, but it’s clear that something’s got to give.
