Kingswinford MP offers backing for plans for sports club floodlights
An MP has thrown his weight behind a plan for eight-metre high floodlights at a sports club in Kingswinford.
Wall Heath Tennis Club has lodged an application with Dudley Council to install six floodlight poles to be installed covering two of their courts.
The poles would be installed at the Enville Road club and Kingswinford and Staffordshire South MP Mike Wood is backing the plan.
Mr Wood said: “I would like to express my full support for this planning application to install new lighting at Wall Heath Community Centre.
“Community sports clubs, like Wall Heath Tennis Club, play a vital role in promoting public health and providing opportunities for people of all ages to stay active.
“Upgrading the lighting would be a valuable improvement and would allow the club to extend playing hours safely into the evening and hopefully improve the uptake of sport locally from young to old.”
The club is located at the rear of Wall Heath Community Centre and the application has, so far, attracted one objection.
Trevor Page, from Enville Road, said: “Has a combined assessment of both new and existing lights been carried out.
“Since the lights will be mounted above the level of my rear upstairs windows, and considering the nature of LED lighting, has the possible intrusive effect at upper floor level been fully assessed and can this be guaranteed to be insignificant?”
Mr Page’s concerns are echoed by the council’s Environmental Health and Safety team who say approval should only be given once a light spillage assessment has been submitted and approved by the local authority.
The council’s Ecology team are worried about residents of a different sort and the effect new lights would have on them.
In their report on the application, the Ecology team said: “Whilst no specific surveys for bats, and other nocturnal fauna, have been carried out for the site it is considered highly likely that the species would be present, particularly given the presence of records within the immediate surrounding area and the presence of suitable habitat for foraging and commuting bats.
“Given the likely presence of this protected species, specifically within the adjacent woodland parcel, it is considered that a sensitive lighting scheme should be provided specifically accounting for bats or sufficient evidence is provided to show that light levels on the woodland edge are low enough as to no impact commuting bats.”
