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| Floodlights |
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| See: | Accounts for riding centre | Economics of riding centre | Planning history |
| Floodlighting at Lee Valley Riding Centre, Lea Bridge Road, E.10. WF APPLICATION REF. 2010/0579 Regarding the issue of increased floodlighting at the Riding Centre, I heard on Friday from John Harrison that in fact permission was granted under Delegated Powers last week (Thursday 17th February, presumably) for the doubling of the amount of floodlighting at the Lee Valley Regional Park's "Lee Valley Riding Centre" on Lea Bridge Road. Apparently, Mike Punchard, the Borough's Arboricultural and Wildlife Officer, eventually got a bat survey done and reported that the floodlighting would not pose any significant disruption to the foraging habits of bats in the vicinity. Clearly NLLDC's view that it would be an over-intensification of use of what is a rather small and confined site was not accepted by the Head of Planning Control. I gather that there were also some technical glitches about the type of floodlighting to be used. As you know, our opinion at the initial stage was that as the lighting would be used only in winter and would have a 10.00pm cut-off point (the cut-off point for the floodlight at the Marina is widely ignored, however), it would be little worse than that at a sports ground. But we do still worry that this could open the way to more floodlighting on open space in green semi-rural settings including MOL (e.g. Marsh Lane Fields, where the Eton Manor Athletics Club train). We would, of course, have preferred the matter to be brought to Committee and not simply granted permission by the Officers under Delegated Powers; but with the present shower on the Planning Committee that may not have been advantageous anyway! Many thanks, Katy Andrews Co-Chair and Planning Liaison Officer, New Lammas Lands Defence Committee. . (17/Feb/2010) | |||