RE: Floodlighting at Evesham High School, the Head of Sports at Evesham High School has not set the record straight.

In addition to after-school activities, local sports clubs are to be recruited to use the facilities in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays. The tennis and netball pitches are to be of competition standard and will undoubtedly be so utilised by the school and the clubs. The planning application seeks sanction for floodlight use until 9pm (not 8.30pm) with lock-up at 10pm (not 9pm) for 365 days per year. Common sense indicates such usage will not be limited to the October/March period.

Enhanced sporting facilities are certainly welcomed by a majority of the residents in Four Pools Road and Burma Close. Quite how tennis and netball will benefit the majority of the youths who roam the town is not clear. The primary focus of objections bears on the location of the proposed development. Evesham High School already has a floodlit sports facility to the rear of the buildings at the south of the site. It is now proposed to create a second, separate installation in front of the buildings at the north of the site. This new facility will be intolerably close to residences and highways. The consequent increase in light pollution over the whole campus will be intrusive and unacceptable. No attempt appears to have been made to research the siting of the courts next to the existing floodlit area where the environmental impact will be minimised. The application also fails to address the inevitable problems of increased vehicle movements at peak and unsociable hours or the paucity of off-road car parking facilities when competitions are held. I hope that this explains the concerns of the local community.

GERALD F SMALL, Burma Close, Evesham.