Corfe Hills School in Poole to get new outdoor sports area

Corfe Hills School has been granted planning permission to build an artificial grass pitch, a sheltered padel court, and two long jump pits.

The school hopes the new facilities can ‘enhance pupil’s enjoyment of sport’ and ‘encourage’ girls’ participation in football.

A planning application for the scheme was submitted by Corfe Hills School Academy Trust in July.

It details the new pitch as 43m x 33m in size and comprises of a five-by-five football pitch and two cross court training pitches.

It is earmarked to replace the existing redgra surface, which the school describes as being “obsolete for the use of sport”.

The proposed 20m x 10m padel court, and two long jump pits, would go at the northern end of the redgra area.

Proposed layout for the new area (Image: Corfe Hills School Academy Trust)

Once built, the new facilities would also be open to use by sports clubs, partner organisations and community groups in the surrounding area.

Corfe Hills School Academy Trust argued in the planning application that a ‘need has been identified’ for the proposed sporting area.

A design and access statement reads: “The introduction of a new 3G pitch and padel court along with two new long jump pits would expand and improve the facilities available at the school and within the wider community, thus encouraging a wider range of participants.

“The synthetic pitch and padel court would help to raise the standard of play and training opportunities within the local area as well as hopefully enhancing pupil’s enjoyment of sport.

“The FA are actively promoting women and girls football with an aim to dramatically increasing the levels of female participation in the sport and it is therefore envisaged that this new facility would assist in achieving this aim.”

The trust added that both the artificial pitch and padel court would ‘remove weather as a factor’, ensuring that sporting activities are not cancelled due to adverse weather or ground conditions.

In recommending the scheme for approval, a planning officer said it would provide “some clear benefits” to the school and surrounding communities.

BCP Council granted planning permission on October 27.