Residents have criticised Kingston’s YMCA for proposing to replace the existing grass football pitch with a full-size artificial pitch, six 15-metre-high floodlights, and 4.5-metre fencing.
YMCA St Paul’s Group submitted the application earlier this year, including a noise barrier to go around the pitch.
The youth centre sits alongside the River Thames on one side, with residential neighbourhoods, local schools, and sporting grounds nearby.
Residents have raised concerns about noise levels, light pollution, increased traffic, and wider effects on biodiversity.
John Fecci, 51, director, lives with his two sons, aged six and seven, in the residential area near the site.
He said: “That amount of light and noise pollution means that if they go ahead with it we’re going to have to close the windows from six o’clock every evening, so the kids can’t hear anything.
“We won’t be able to use the garden ourselves in the evening, because that’ll be lit up, and we’ll have the sounds and shouts of football pitches running within 30 metres of our back garden.”
Another resident, Natalia Naryshkina, 55, a business strategist, lives with her 13-year-old daughter, a keen footballer.
She had asked her daughter about the proposed changes to the pitch and whether they would make her happy, and she replied: “Mum, no, because it’s already noisy”.
The design and access statement submitted alongside the application admits that even with the acoustic barrier installed, predicted noise levels will reach the “acceptable” limits at 50 dB, but since predictions have a ±3 dB margin of error, an increase of even a single decibel would be classed as officially causing “sleep disturbance” and residents “having to close windows”.
Whilst noise is predicted to exceed the limit by 3dB, and facility users have been advised to use whistles only during “match play events”, these can run until 10 pm on weekdays, which has offered little reassurance to residents.
Fecci also expressed concerns that his sons slept on the top floor, and the proposed floodlights would “pile in the light”, requiring blackout curtains.
The proposed floodlights will use LED lights set at 4200K–5700K, meaning the colour temperature will be much brighter and colder than recommended.
The report, however, suggests that though a lower colour temperature would cause less disturbance to residents, lighting at this level will not be “fit for purpose” and will not provide adequate safety for the facility users.
Explaining her concerns over the proposed changes, Naryshkina also mentioned: “Traffic, because the bigger the pitch, the more the audience there, the more the traffic is.
“And right now, in the middle of the day, I can see the availability of the parking slots at the YMCA is already almost two-thirds full, and it’s not a lot of space.”
Residents have raised concerns about cars parking on residential roads when space is limited at YMCA facilities. Lower Ham Road, where the youth centre sits, has restricted parking from Monday to Saturday, from 11 am to 2 pm, which does not cover other periods that may be busier.
The transport statement estimates that the proposed changes will add only 23-33 trips, suggesting the increase is insignificant. The same report, however, highlights that at major events, parking will be managed using a pre-booking system and on-site marshals. It is unclear how the centre plans to accommodate the extra cars, given the proposal explicitly states there will be no expansion to the car park, which currently holds space for 120 cars.
Among the concerns regarding biodiversity and heritage loss, Naryshkina said: “There are a lot of nice trees right now surrounding the pitch, which also provide for squirrels and foxes, and the rest of the animals and birds.”
The biodiversity statement submitted with the application accepts that biodiversity value will decrease by 76%. This includes predicted harmful effects on protected species, including nesting birds and bats, which rely on the trees and hedgerows that neighbour the pitch and which will be affected by the insects which the new floodlights will attract.
A spokesperson from YMCA St Paul’s Group said: “The proposal seeks to address a recognised shortage of all-weather football facilities in Kingston and increase opportunities for year-round participation in sport. The proposed 3G pitch would replace existing grass pitches that are frequently unavailable during periods of wet weather or during the winter months, enabling substantially greater year-round use.
“The facility is intended to support a wide range of community users, including schools, grassroots sports clubs, girls’ and women’s teams, disability sport programmes and local community groups. YMCA St Paul’s Group recognises that residents have raised concerns about aspects of the proposal, which is why consultation and a series of independent technical assessments have been undertaken to inform the planning application and identify appropriate mitigation measures where required.”
They also responded to residents’ specific concerns about issues including noise, lighting, biodiversity and parking.
For noise, they said: “The assessment has informed a range of mitigation measures, including the installation of an acoustic barrier and operational management measures designed to minimise noise impacts. In addition, whistles would be limited to match play rather than routine evening training sessions.”
On lighting, they said: “The proposal uses modern LED floodlights, which are more directional than traditional lighting systems. The fittings are designed to be angled downwards, with no upward tilt, and include shielding to reduce light spill beyond the site boundary. Technical drawings showing predicted lighting levels across the site and surrounding areas have been submitted as part of the planning application and are available on Kingston Council’s planning portal.”
On parking, they said: “The assessment found that the proposed increase in evening activity could be accommodated within the existing on-site parking provision at YMCA Hawker. The site already benefits from a substantial car park, and current peak usage typically occurs during daytime periods. The proposals also include measures to encourage sustainable travel, including improved cycle parking. Operational measures, such as managing booking schedules to reduce concentrated arrival and departure times, will also be considered as part of the facility’s ongoing management.”
On biodiversity, they said: “The existing pitches are managed sports surfaces that have been used for organised recreation for many years and have limited ecological value compared with natural habitats. The scheme includes biodiversity enhancements, including new planting and habitat improvements, and has been designed to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain in accordance with planning requirements. Ecological considerations have been incorporated throughout the design process. Given the site’s proximity to the River Thames, measures have also been proposed to help prevent pitch infill material entering surrounding land or drainage systems, including drainage filters, silt traps and boot-cleaning facilities. These measures will be monitored as part of the ongoing management of the facility.”
The local councillor Sachin Tulyani added: “The Planning application from the YMCA group for the Hawker centre is currently still open for comments from residents. As such in our role as local councillors for Tudor ward, we continue to encourage all residents with an interest to submit their comments directly on Kingston council’s planning portal.”
Featured image credit: Boryana Krizhanovska
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