The West Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss planning application 24/06542/FUL for Princes Risborough School, and to note the minutes of their previous meeting. The committee will consider the construction of a new full size synthetic pitch and MUGA¹ with floodlighting at Princes Risborough School, with a recommendation for the application to be permitted.

Princes Risborough School Planning Application

The main item for discussion is planning application 24/06542/FUL, which concerns Princes Risborough School on Merton Road, Princes Risborough. The Insignis Academy Trust, as the applicant, is seeking permission for the:

Construction of a new full size synthetic pitch and MUGA with floodlighting and fencing system to replace the existing natural grass area and existing MUGA and creation of two bunds

The report pack indicates that Councillor Walsh, Councillor A Turner and Councillor Hall requested the application be discussed at planning committee. Councillor Walsh raised concerns that the:

Proposed hours of operation could have a detrimental effect on local residents in particular Clifford Road and some properties on Merton Road... The proposed height of the floodlights is very significant...

Councillor A Turner raised concerns regarding the hours and days of operation, the height of floodlighting and vehicle access.

Description of the Proposed Development

The proposed development includes several key components:

• 3G Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP): A new 97 x 61 metre pitch with six 15-metre high floodlight columns.
• Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA): Replacement of the existing MUGA with a new one measuring 60 x 34.5 metres, lit by eight 8-metre high floodlight columns. This would be principally for netball and tennis, with three courts.
• Additional Lighting: Two further four-metre high lighting columns are proposed adjacent to the path between the MUGA and the car park.
• Earth Bunds: Formation of earth bunds around the edges of the grass pitches to the west of the main school site, using top soil excavated to level the area for the new playing pitch. These would be located at the edges of the playing field adjacent to New Road.

The facilities would be available for community use during evenings, weekends, and school holidays, with proposed hours of use as follows:

• Mondays to Thursdays: 08:00 – 22:00
• Fridays: 08:00 – 21:00
• Saturdays and Sundays: 08:00 – 18:00

Policy Considerations

The report pack notes that the part of the site where the proposed MUGA and 3G pitch are proposed are within the Princes Risborough settlement boundary, and is designated as Green Space in the Delivery and Site Allocations Plan (DSA). Policy DM12 states that development that would result in the loss, fragmentation or reduction in size of green space will not be permitted other than in exceptional circumstances. The report pack claims that the proposal complies with Policy DM12 as it would not result in any loss of the area used for recreational purposes.

The playing fields adjacent to New Road / Brimmers Road are located in the Green Belt² and Chilterns National Landscape³. The only development within this area is the formation of the bunds around the periphery of the playing field. The report pack claims that these works would result in some degree of change but would not harm the openness of the Green Belt or the purposes of including land within it.

Transport and Parking

The report pack states that the proposed use of the new facilities by the school would not increase trip generation to the site, but that the facilities would be available for community use during the evenings and at weekends, which would have the potential to increase trips to the site at off peak times.

The report pack notes that the extant 2017 permission for the redevelopment of the school included a pre-start condition for proposals for managing school traffic, and that the agreed details indicated that the majority of community lettings would use the New Road entrance in the evenings and at weekends, with the Merton Road access being required for larger lettings.

The report pack also notes that one of the main concerns of third parties relate to construction traffic and visitors accessing the site via Clifford Road / Merton Road, and that it is now proposed to use the New Road access for construction traffic, and for visitors.

Amenity and Environmental Issues

The report pack states that the main impacts for residential properties around the school site would relate to the impact of the floodlighting and the impact relating to noise and disturbance, from the use of the facilities themselves and from associated traffic generation.

The report pack notes that a previous application, submitted in 1997, was refused due to the impact of lighting on neighbouring properties, but that since that application was determined lighting technology has advanced, and that the current proposal has therefore addressed the issue of light trespass into surrounding properties.

The report pack also notes that the application is accompanied by a Noise Impact Assessment, which has been updated during the course of the application, and that the scheme also proposes an acoustic fence along the north west side of the pitch and MUGA.

The Council's Environmental Health officer has reviewed the assessment and has not raised any objection to the methodology of the NIA, and has indicated that subject to suitable hours of use conditions, and a condition to secure a Noise Management Plan, the proposal would not have an adverse impact on residential amenity due to noise.

Ecology and Biodiversity

The application is accompanied by a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, which has not identified any protected species which could be impacted by the development. The report pack states that the proposal is required to deliver a mandatory biodiversity net gain of 10%, and that it is proposed that this would partially be achieved on site within the playing field area by creating modified grassland on the proposed bunds. To achieve the full 10% it will be necessary for the applicant to purchase credits from an off-set provider.

Sport England Consultation

Sport England initially objected to the proposed bunds around the playing pitches as they had potential to compromise the usability of the pitches in this area. Following revisions to the plans Sport England has removed its objection, subject to conditions to secure details of community access and to ensure measures are in place to prevent microplastics from the playing pitch entering ground water.

Recommendation

The report pack recommends conditional permission be granted for the planning application.

Minutes from the Previous Meeting

The minutes from the meeting held on 19 November 2025 are included in the report pack. Councillor A Collingwood declared an interest as he was a former pupil of St Michael's Catholic School and had been a governor for a total of eight years. Councillor S Adoh also declared an interest as she used to be a school governor whilst her son attended the school over 10 years ago. The main item discussed at the previous meeting was application 25/06099/FUL for St Michael's Catholic School on Daws Hill Lane, High Wycombe. The application was for the demolition of ten existing school buildings, refurbishment of Block EFAD and construction of three replacement school buildings comprising a primary school block, secondary school block and shared school block, along with access, landscaping, parking and associated infrastructure. The application was approved subject to conditions.