PLANS to extend the hours Weydon School sports pitches are floodlit will be decided by Surrey County Council’s planning committee rather than by officers using delegated powers.

Three new applications have been put forward for extending the hours of use including floodlighting of some of Weydon’s sports pitches to 10pm Monday to Thursday, 9.30pm Friday and 6pm on weekends and at bank holidays.

Farnham county and borough councillor David Munro said: “I spoke with the Surrey County Council planning officer and have asked for the applications to be determined by the planning committee, rather than using delegated powers. That means that they will be decided in public, and both objectors and the school will be able to make their points. The likely date is November 11 but that has yet to be confirmed.”

Waverley Borough Council is a consultee concerning the applications, which will be determined by Surrey. As The Herald went to press on Wednesday, the plans had triggered several objections.

A couple living next door to the school have objected strongly to increasing the hours of floodlighting from 8.30pm. “The floodlights are far too bright and neighbour’s homes are lit up like Belisha beacons,” they responded. “There has to be ‘Give and Take’, Weydon is a first-class school, however we and many of our neighbours who have lived here for some years, had no idea as to the sports complex that was envisaged.”

The couple also objected that the noise would continue after 10pm, because users would still have to exit the facility.

Weydon School’s governing body said: “We have made an application for an extension for use of the pitches in order that more members of the community can benefit from our wonderful facilities. The demand for our pitches and courts has been over our capacity currently due to the number of adults wishing to use the area after they return home from work. Our current timings up to 8.30pm mean they are not able to use them in the winter.

“We hope given the new lights and acoustic sound prevention facilities in place, as well as other measures taken to reduce any potential impact on our neighbours, that the application will be successful.”