Council backs floodlights

Club chairman Tom Parker told a meeting of the council's planning committee on Tuesday that the latest plan reduced by about 50 per cent the amount of light spillage.

General manager Mr Allan Lofthouse said 24 lights would be split between six poles instead of the originally proposed four and products giving total light control and a reduction of light spillage laterally and horizontally would be used.

Lights would be used on Saturday afternoons between October and February between 3 and 5pm.

On Tuesday training nights between September and April half the lights would be used on half power from 6.30 pm to 10pm and full power would only be used on about 20 Tuesdays when matches were played.

Mr Lofthouse said that without the lights they did not stand a chance of gaining promotion to Division One of their league.

Neighbours of the football ground were concerned about the lights going up in a rural area and also worried that more cars would be attracted to the ground adding to the hazards of the already dangerous Eastbourne Road.

Club chairman Mr Parker said he did not expect that promotion would greatly increase the number of spectators and gave an assurance the ground would not be opened up to other clubs, though it might be offered for use by schools if they needed to host a cup final.

"We have just spent 30,000 on drainage there and we want that pitch for our own use," said Mr Parker.

Mr David Pursglove, who lives near the ground, feared that the lights were just the start of a new phase of development at the football ground and increased activity there.

He added there was no chance of the club being promoted to the first division this year because they were only seventh in the Second Division.

But Mr Parker pointed out the rapid rise of the club to date and said that they couldn't make their move towards Division One until they had the lights '“ plus a minimum of 20 seats in an existing stand and a PA system to announce the players at matches '“ and the ground was inspected and approved.

Three councillors opposed the plan but Mrs Rita Redman, who chaired the meeting, said that the council should support the application while asking for more control over parking in the area.