A SCHOOL sports pavilion which is open to the public has become a victim of its own success as local residents, councillors and the school clash head on over opening hours.

North Yorkshire county councillors are being urged to approve extended opening for the pavilion which was built at Richmond School in 2015.

But local residents and town councillors have protested that it will mean increased noise and nuisance and the building should be preserved as an educational establishment.

Originally the school had asked for unrestricted opening hours for the building, which is part of the school campus, and around 125 metres away from neighbouring houses.

After protests this was altered from 8am to 22.30pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 23.30pm on Friday and Saturday. It currently closes at 9.30pm Monday to Friday and 18.00pm on Friday and Saturday.

The school says the pavilion serves the sports pitches including football, hockey, cricket, rugby and athletics as well as a floodlit multi-use games pitch, and the original planning permission was for dual use with the community outside of school hours. With improvements in facilities and new sporting initiatives the school said they felt the opening times should be reviewed to support the "excellent community activities."

North Yorkshire county council’s planning committee is being recommended to grant permission for the extension at a meeting today. Planning officer Amy Taylor said in a report to the committee : “on balance the public benefit means the application should be considered acceptable.”

There were 12 letters of objection and four of support. Richmond town council protested that the original permission was supported reluctantly on the grounds there would be no request to extend. They added: ”The town council unanimously support the residents of The Avenue and The Crescent in their objections to the application, that it will increase nuisance, noise, anti-social behaviour and parking problems.”

They said any extension: “would have an adverse effect on the school in general, it is an educational facility which would be effected the following day, by functions having run into the late evening, requiring a clean-up, prior to usage by the children."