A free school has been given the go-ahead to build sports facilities on a disused playing field.

Archer Academy, in Beaumont Close, East Finchley, plans to build an indoor sports hall, that can hold around 450 pupils, two hard courts, a floodlit synthetic turf pitch and play areas on the abandoned Stanley Road Playing Fields.

The facilities will be available for residents to use outside of school hours, Barnet Council ruled at a planning committee meeting last week.

The proposals only received five objections from neighbours, who were concerned about parking, traffic, noise and light pollution.

One resident said they were worried that there may be unexploded bombs in the field from the Second World War.

Cllr Richard Cornelius, leader of the council, said: “I am delighted we have been able to use outside funding for the Archer Academy to bring Stanley Road Playing Fields back into community use as well as providing good quality sports facilities for Barnet’s young people.

“At a time when council funding is very tight, I am delighted that we have been able work creatively to develop new sports facilities attached to schools.”