Lindow Tennis Club has appealed against Cheshire East Council's refusal of their planning application to install floodlights at their Cumber Lane site.
Initially the Club sought permission to erect eight floodlights to serve their three courts, each of which would be 8 metres high and could be used at all hours. During the course of the application changes were made to the plans so that the lights would be retractable, they would be 8 metres high when in use and 3.5 metres when retracted, and they would serve two rather than three courts.
In December 2012 Cheshire East Council refused planning permission for the floodlights to be installed on the grounds that the proposed lights would have a significant detrimental impact on the amenities of the occupants of neighbouring properties due to light spillage, light glare and noise disturbance.
Lindow Tennis Club has lodged an appeal against this refusal, on the grounds that following the amendment to the application to reduce the floodlighting from three to two courts it did not specify which two courts were to be illuminated.
Additionally no new light spillage tables were submitted, reflecting these changes, so the light spillage tables as submitted were inaccurate and misleading, and no limits were proposed on the operating hours of the Club under floodlit conditions which "gave rise to undue resident objection and objection from the LPA's Health & Safety Executive in the consultation process".
The Club has subsequently confirmed courts 1 and 2 are the courts to be floodlit, with 6 floodlights installed, and they have submitted updated lighting details including luminance levels and light spillage tables.
Having considered this additional information, Cheshire East Council is of the view that the appeal should be dismissed as the proposal is still considered to have a detrimental impact on the amenities of the occupants of neighbouring properties as a result of light glare, light spillage and noise disturbance.
Wilmslow Town Council (WTC) has written in support of the residents who are objecting to these plans, having also taken the view that the floodlights will have a detrimental effect on those properties close to the courts.
WTC has commented "Revisions in the application have been made since Wilmslow Town Council first considered this matter. Despite those revisions Wilmslow Town Council would strongly reiterate its earlier comments in recommending refusal on the grounds of the detrimental impact on the residential area.
"The lack of detailed statistics in the revised submission and a background of disturbance to local residents provides further concerns."
Details of the appeal can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning reference 12/3898M.
Comments
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Feels like a job for Mr Enstone!
And if as Terri Roeves says, "they won't be on that often", then why bother with them at all???
Just think of the poor people who will have to live with the bright glare coming into their lounges/front rooms and bedrooms!! It's not acceptable. It's an area full of children who need their sleep from 7-8pm onwards!!
Also, allowing the lights would devalue the house prices of the neighbouring properties, meaning they may never recoup their money.
This tennis club is in the middle of a residential area, not on some industrial estate. The light glare and the noise of night time tennis should not be imposed on those residents. Perhaps, if the club wish to develop in this direction, they should consider re-locating to a more suitable site.
The next thing is that they will offer you designer sunglasses and black-out curtains . Hope the plans are rejected for your sake