Nailsea School is trying again to extend the use of its all weather pitch.

The academy at Mizzymead Road withdrew an earlier application after an assessment by a sound engineer found noises levels for those living nearby to be unacceptable.

Now the school has submitted an amended planning application to North Somerset Council which addresses the problems.

Under the terms of the existing planning permission the pitch, which is floodlit, cannot be used after 8pm during the week, after 6pm on a Saturday and before 9.30am or after 1.30pm on a Sunday.

The original amended proposal was for the AWP to be used all year round Monday to Friday 8.30am-9.30pm, Saturday 9am-9.30pm and on Sunday and bank holidays 10am-4pm.

The new proposal is from May-July the AWP would be in use Monday to Friday 8.30am-8.30pm, Saturday 9am-7pm and on Sunday and bank holidays 9am-3pm with no Sunday use during July.

And from August-April open hours would be Monday to Friday 8.30am-9.30pm, Saturday 9am– 6.30pm, Sunday and bank holidays 9am-3pm.

The school says extra hours are needed because of an increase in demand for the pitch, which opened in May 2010, from the community.

They say the increase in operating hours would allow an extra 200 people a week to use the pitch.

Head teacher Chris Wade has written to neighbours of the 1,000+ pupil comprehensive outlining the new proposals.

Mr Wade said: “The school submitted a planning application in 2014 to change two planning conditions relating to the use of the All Weather Pitch (AWP).

“Following comments from neighbours and after further consultation with an environmental health officer the school took the decision to withdraw the application in order to give itself more time to look at the noise implication which was the reason for a previous refusal.

“In early 2015 the school employed a sound consultant to carry out a more detailed assessment which was agreed with the EHO prior to the study commencing.

“The outcome from the assessment was that in certain circumstances the level of noise intruding into gardens was likely to be in excess of that recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and also the council’s guidelines.”

The report recommended an acoustic barrier between properties at Ash Hayes Drive and Mizzymead Road directly facing the pitch.

Mr Wade said: “The recommendation in the report is for acoustic wooden fencing and the school agrees that this appears to be the best option.

“The school’s desire is to reach a working compromise for the extended use of the facilities which meets the demands from the wider community while realising the effect it has on neighbouring properties.”

And the new application spells out reduced usage during May, June and July when residents are more likely to be using their gardens.

The school would also give seven days notice of any all day bookings on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday to residents who wanted advance warning.

It also committed to a contribution to blackout blinds for neighbour whose homes are directly affected and promises not to ask to extend the hours again before July 2020.

This latest attempt is seen as a more consolatory approach to reach a compromise with people living in homes which were built after the school but before the state-of-art new sport facilities were added.

During a previous attempt to extend hours Nailsea School operations manager Chris Perry said: "The demand for the use of the all weather pitch facilities at the school is far greater than originally envisaged and therefore does not allow us to meet the demands of the local community.

"The existing restrictions mean we are presently having to turn away local clubs and individual users as well as restricting how much time is available to our existing users.

"Unfortunately as we only have three hours available each weekday evening for community use, we have been unable to offer them anything and this is restricting the development of individuals, their clubs and sport in general within Nailsea.

"We are aware that to have the lights on until 9.30pm on weekdays will not be universally popular and some of our neighbours have been vociferous in their objections to the current usage.

"However we have taken them into consideration by limiting our request to 9.30pm, which is earlier than the sun sets at the peak of the summer period."

Residents of neighbouring Ash Hayes Drive and Station Road, said back in 2012  it will cause additional noise and light pollution.

And in an objection published on North Somerset Council website Richard Piercey, of Ash Hayes Drive, said: "As neighbours to the pitch we are directly impacted by the proposed prolonged hours of usage.

"We are concerned that any extension to the hours will have a detrimental effect on the value of our property and we also believe that this will affect our quality of life."

At the time town council planning and environment committee chairman James Tonkin said: "I am fully in support of the all-weather pitch as I think it is a fabulous facility for the local community.

"But any chances to its operation need to be done harmony with the local residents."

But North Somerset councillor Andy Cole says he is opposed to this and if officers approve he will ask for the application to be 'called in' for a decision by the planning committee.

Nailsea School which has technology and media arts college status opened in 1959 as a grammar school with 90 pupils.

It became a comprehensive school in 1966 catering for pupils aged from 11 to 18 years.

In September 2010 HRH the Duke of Gloucester officially opened the £32 million new building on the same campus.

The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) project was funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and includes a state-of-the-art all weather pitch with floodlighting.  

 The school currently caters for more than 1,200 students and has a history of successful Ofsted reports and top exam results.