A second attempt by Dundee High School to upgrade its sports facilities at Arbroath Road has been overwhelmingly rejected by the city council’s development quality committee.
In a planning application submitted under the name of rector Dr John Halliday, the school sought permission for two all-weather sports pitches, installation of floodlighting, and fencing between three and five metres high at the Dalnacraig sports ground, along with an extension to car parking at the Mayfield ground on the opposite side of Arbroath Road.
A similar, though not identical, application had been turned down by the committee last year. That rejection was appealed by the school to the Scottish Government but the council’s decision was upheld.
City development director Mike Galloway, in a report to the committee, recommended approval of the new application. He said the council had received more than 20 letters from neighbouring residents objecting to the proposals.
Most of the letters cited concerns including traffic and parking problems in the area; noise, light pollution and overlooking of houses; and drainage and infrastructure problems.
But Mr Galloway said the objectors’ concerns were not supported.
One letter of support for the application was received from a regular user of the existing facilities at Dalnacraig and Mayfield.
A representative of the objectors told the committee they believed granting the application would lead to traffic and parking congestion, which is already apparent in the area, getting worse.
He said the concerns raised by other residents when the previous application was submitted had not been fully addressed and called for the new application to be refused.
Moving refusal, Ken Lynn said he did not see the application as being “markedly different” from the previous one.
He said it would adversely affect the quality of life of surrounding residents on a number of grounds including increased traffic, noise, and light pollution.
Committee convener Rod Wallace moved approval but with the proviso that the floodlights should be switched off at 8pm, an hour earlier than was planned.
He said the new application did take into account some of the comments made by the Scottish Government reporter who refused the appeal last year.
Mr Lynn’s motion for refusal was carried by 16 votes to three.