Dark times for football club as floodlights proposal dismissed by planners
COUNCILLORS pulled the plug on a football club’s proposed floodlights — as one objector took along a torch to highlight how neighbours would be affected.
Kiveton Miners Welfare FC applied for six steel columns standing 15 metres in height around its pitch off Stone Close to allow more matches to take place.
Sixteen objections were made against the plans, along with a petition of 23 names — raising concerns about light pollution, noise and general disturbance.
There was also one letter of support from Sheffield & Hallamshire Football Association, which said the development of sport in this location would help tackle inequalities across under-represented groups.
Chris Wilkins, RMBC senior development manager, admitted it was inevitable that there would be some disturbance to residents but said officers had weighed this against increased use of the pitch and were happy with the plans.
A condition was proposed which restricted the use of the lights from 7pm to 10pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 3pm to 6pm on Saturdays.
Club chairman Kieran Gallagher said: “The football ground has been sat there for around 60 years, before the houses were built.
“We would only be using them for 15 or 20 days of the year. It’s not going to be constantly used.”
Neil Robertson, chairman of Kiveton Park Miners Welfare Scheme, added: “The club has an aim to provide outstanding grassroots facilities which encourage growth in football participation.
“The installation of floodlights is a necessary part of the club’s desire to progress into the Football Association’s National League.”
Objector Peter Clarke brought along a torch, which he shined in the council chamber during the meeting, saying: “That is 4,500 lumens. The floodlights are 200,000 lumens at 45ft away.
“The information you have got about how bright they are going to be is absolute rubbish.
“These houses are going to be seriously affected. Is it right that 20 people’s houses should be affected for the sake of 24 people playing football?”
It was suggested during the meeting last Thursday that council officials could visit residents’ bedrooms if there were claims that the lights were brighter than allowed.
Cllr Dominic Beck, Wales ward member, said lots of people had contacted him with concerns about the proposals.
“They have no qualms living next door to a football pitch or cricket club,” he added. “What they are opposed to is this creep towards what’s been described — the introduction of new facilities, and specifically these floodlights, because of the blight they legitimately feel they will have on their properties and family life.”
The proposals were rejected by seven votes to two.
The decision notice published by RMBC after the meeting said: “The erection of the lighting columns will enable the pitch to be used over a longer period of time, particularly late in the evening, thereby exacerbating the level of noise and general disturbance to local residents to the detriment of their residential amenity.
“No mitigation measures can be put in place to adequately address the harm caused.”