Glusburn and Cross Hills Parish Council is set to review a planning application for a new sports development at South Craven School.

Parish council chairman Roger Nicholson said that the proposed plan would be considered at a planning meeting at St Peter’s Church Hall in Cross Hills next Thursday, July 23, at 7pm.

The proposed development, which the school has already discussed with nearby Clayton Hall Road residents, includes an all-weather playing field and the erection of fencing.

If approved, South Craven School would make the facilities available for commercial use.

However, the proposal has already meet with stiff resistance from local residents.

“The residents are putting up a strong case against it,” said Coun Nicholson. “It’s not just for school use, it is a big business development.

“The school has been testing the water with local residents because this proposal will be something like Marley Stadium in Keighley.

“It’s like an industrial development because it has all the noise and light pollution issues and nuisance problems associated with it.”

Coun Nicholson said that the sports development would extend the school’s working hours and could bring in more income, which could stimulate the school’s growth.

“The bigger they are, the more speciality subjects they teach,” he said. “The school is going to get bigger and bigger – and the pupil numbers are already too big for our community.

“The school has got too big for Cross Hills – it’s twice as big as it should be for the area. We just can’t cope.”