© Bright Sparks Sports Lighting 2023
Floodlighting Planning Guide
We will design and install an efficient, cost effective
lighting solution to fulfil your requirements. Lighting
design is a highly technical part of any
lighting system enabling councils to see the impact on
the surrounding area before an installation is carried out.
Our lighting plots will show luminous intensity ( LUX )
maintained levels achieved, Uniformity of the illuminated
area ( the evenness of the light )
and light spillage ( the impact We on the surrounding
area ).
It is getting more and more common that an application
for floodlighting will be refused. This can be because of
many factors including light pollution, visual impact and
the effects on surrounding property.
We will try to guide you towards a successful planning
application.
Floodlighting is frequently requested for sports facilities
to enable them to be used on winter evenings for training
competition; to enable an
expensive facility such as an artificial Turf Pitch to be
more viable and justify the level of capital investment to
enable more people to participate and give more choice
and flexibility of playing time.
There have been significant advances made in the
design and maintenance of floodlighting systems. The
site should be able to accommodate any necessary
lighting without undue intrusion or significant adverse
impact upon the immediate locality or wider environment.
The reasoned justification to the policy refers to the need
for environmental safeguards and measures to protect
residential amenity and maintain highway safety.
Light pollution can be a problem in both urban and rural
areas. Residential amenity aspects will be most
significant in an urban area, whilst sky glow may be the
most significant impact in a rural area. The Department
of the Environment and the Countryside Commission in
1997 produced a Good Practice Guide Lighting in the
Countryside. Towards Good Practice, which provides
practical advice on the prevention and control of lighting
impacts through appropriate action by all those involved
with lighting in the countryside. The guide suggests that
Local Planning
Authorities should recognise the cumulative impacts of
lighting on countryside character and consider the need
for policies on lighting in the development plan and for
supplementary planning guidance to elucidate these
policies. Much of the advice in the Good Practice Guide
is applicable to urban and suburban areas as well as the
countryside.
The Sports Council has also produced Guidance Notes
to advise potential developers of floodlit sports facilities
on the issues they should consider in order to reduce the
potential effect on the local environment. Different sports
require different levels of light. The lighting requirements
for individual sports are set out in the Sports Council
Guidance Notes.
Lighting in the Countryside
There is growing concern that excessive lighting on rural
roads, village streets and in other areas of the
countryside can lead to sky glow which
shuts out the splendour of the night sky and lighting
apparatus can be visually intrusive in daytime. There can
be a subtle cumulative effect on the character of rural
landscapes that tends to blur the distinction between
urban and rural area. Two key considerations are
identified in the DOE/CC 1997 Good Practice Guide, the
importance of countryside character and the need to
minimise the use of lighting and its impacts.
Lighting in Urban Areas
Although the apparatus associated with floodlighting is
often more readily assimilated in urban areas, and the
wider impact of the light generated less intrusive,
particular problems can occur in respect of residential
amenity. The proximity of housing and the way in which
the floodlighting and use of the site impacts on the
amenities enjoyed by the occupiers will be an important
factor in determining the acceptability of proposals.
Proposals for floodlighting of sports facilities will be
permitted where:-
1 There is no significant adverse impact on the
landscape character in terms of the sensitivity of a given
area to the introduction of exterior lighting (night-time)
the effect of lighting on the visual character of the
landscape or built environment in terms of siting and the
existing landform (day-time) the effect on historical or
wildlife features the design of new planting and
landscaping proposals.
2 There is no significant adverse impact on the visual
amenity of residents.
3 The safety of transport users is not adversely affected.
4 The proposal does not represent an unacceptably
adverse intensification of use of the application site. In
addition there may be a need to consider the impact on
special interest groups such as astronomers.
The Borough Council may impose planning conditions to
influence the design of lighting installations and to
mitigate their impacts.
A] Night-time Impact
Areas with the presence of dark skies such as remote or
undeveloped areas of countryside will be particularly
sensitive to light intrusion. The
Institute of Lighting Engineers in their Guidance Notes
for the reduction of Light Pollution give examples of
environmental zones. The presence of existing lighting in
the locality will be examined.
B] Day-time
The effect on sky-lines, key views and on landscape
character generally will be looked at. The siting of
lighting is of particular importance e.g.
concentrating lights in one part of the site, screening key
views and giving careful consideration to the treatment of
the boundaries of any
development. The existing topography or land form
varies in its ability to accommodate lighting. A relatively
flat landform and well developed
hedgerows may contain views, but cannot screen sky
glow. Rolling landforms may reduce the impacts of
lighting but dark upland areas will be particularly
sensitive in terms of light pollution.
C] Historical or Wildlife Features
The presence of conservation areas, listed buildings,
nature reserves or areas of wildlife interest which may be
adversely affected will be taken into account.
D] Landscaping
Landscaping proposals such as allowing existing hedges
to grow, the planting of new hedges and internal planting
within a site may screen some of the impacts of new
lighting. Care must be taken though not to adversely
alter the existing landscape character or block important
local views.
Applicants will therefore need to demonstrate how use of
the existing land form, or landscaping proposals will
mitigate the impact of the proposal.
Sports floodlights tend to be tall and may be intrusive in
visual terms. There are advantages in mounting the lamp
as high as possible so that its light can be directed
downwards, minimising glare and sky glow. However, tall
masts may be visually intrusive during the day-time. The
following principles should therefore be considered as
advocated in the DOE/CC guide: consider potential for
temporary floodlighting and for lowering light columns in
summer when they are not in use. Also using the
minimum number of light required to minimise light
pollution.
2 Residential Visual Amenity Aspects
Residential amenity aspects will be particularly important
in urban areas. Distances between the proposed lighting
and the boundaries of
residential curtilages will be examined. The amount of
light falling on a surface is known as the luminance and
is measured in lumens per square metre or lux. The
strength of light in a given direction is referred to by
engineers as luminous intensity and this is measured in
candelas. Light spill from a misdirected source can be
distracting and annoying and can destroy a sense of
privacy, especially where bedrooms may be effected by
increased light levels at night.
3 Transport Safety
The relevant highway authority will be consulted
regarding any increased luminance caused by the
proposed lighting and the possible effects of glare on
road users. Glare from excessively bright or poorly
aimed lights causes dazzle, with safety implications for
motorists and pedestrians, particularly the elderly.
4 Intensification of Use
The provision of floodlighting often involves an
intensification of use. The use to which a floodlit area is
put can have a considerable impact on the amenity of
the surrounding area. There will be a considerable
difference between a facility used for training purposes,
or just by the participants in a sport and a use which
attracts large numbers of spectators. The other aspects
of intensification such as noise, access and car parking
are
addressed by other Development Control policies but
remain valid concerns for assessing any floodlighting
proposals.
5 Special Interest Groups
British astronomers have been particularly affected by
the impact of light pollution on the night sky. The
activities of astronomers are affected most by sky glow,
but light trespass and glare may also cause severe
problems if they are close by.
6 Conditions
Conditions may cover such matters as: luminaries
effects. These matters and the issues raised in this
policy guidance need to be addressed in any planning
applications submitted to the Borough Council.
Applicants are advised to consult the relevant lighting
experts before submitting a scheme. The DOE/CC Good
Practice Guide provides useful information on issues to
consider in the scheme preparation of lighting
installations. The Institute of Lighting Engineer Guidance
Notes for the Reduction of Light Pollution 1994 and the
Sports Council Guidance Notes Floodlighting 1994 and
Facilities Fact file 2, Floodlighting for Sport also provides
useful information.