Falmouth School has won the support of the town council for its new artificial pitch and sports pavilion after members did a u-turn when the casting vote of the chairman resulted in the scheme going forward with the support of councillors.

Only last month, the town's planning committee had recommended refusal of the plans claiming the 3G pitch would be better located on the Channel 4 field, that the positioning of the clubhouse and the floodlighting would be unneighbourly to residents of Trescobeas Road and also thought the sale of alcohol was inappropriate in a residential area.

The school's director of sport, Jem Wallis, was back before the planning committee on Monday night when councillors were told it had never been the school's intention to sell alcohol and that a number of alterations are now proposed to mitigate the concerns of councillors and residents.

These include a restriction being placed upon the school which would prevent it from being able to apply for an alcohol licence in the future, restricting the use of the facility to 9.30pm on weekdays, until 6pm on Saturdays and 4pm on Sundays and undertaking significant planting along the boundary to shield residents from both light and noise.

Mr Wallis said it was not feasible to move the new artificial pitch and pavilion to either the former Budock Hospital site or the Channel 4 field, partly due to the added expense this would incur. "Poor record keeping and an aggressive litigation process from the NHS has resulted in the (hospital) site being crossed off our list of possible locations due to a potential bill of £1.5million being tacked onto our costs," he said, "The siting of the facility on our Channel 4 fields is similarly problematic."

Residents of Trescobeas Road are, however, still opposed to the scheme. Tony Parker said the only change to the plans previously opposed by the council is the removal of the sale of alcohol. "All the other refusal reasons are the same, therefore I and all the other residents see no reason for this committee to change its decision and respectfully ask you to refuse this application again."

Councillors were split over the plans with Oliver Cramp suggesting an independent assessment of the three sites should be carried out and Diana Merrett saying: "Their (the school's) mitigations are everything we raised. They have worked hard to overturn all the things we said we didn't like."

Rowenna Brock did not agree. "I do not think anyone denies this sort of facility for Falmouth would be excellent, but just because it's really good for Falmouth, doesn't mean it's really good for Falmouth where it is.

"There are other sites and I know the school has repeatedly said they are unaffordable, but the fact you cannot afford it is not a reason to put it through. I feel we are being rushed and railroaded a little bit. It would change the view of the whole area, taking away a green field to replace it with fake grass."

Vicky Eva said: "The plan is as it was, apart from the word bar. We turned it down last time so I just think we should still be refusing this. It boils down to money and it's not our fault it's going to cost them more to put it on another site."

A motion to refuse the application on the same grounds as before, minus the reference to alcohol, stalled at three votes for and against, so committee chairman, Grenville Chappel, used his casting vote in support of the proposals. The scheme will now go before Cornwall Council.