Football club floodlights: 'a step too far'

Little Common Football Club is applying for permission to put up six 15m masts with four lights on each so it can hold cup matches having been promoted to division two of the Sussex County League.

This is "a step too far" according to nearby residents, who feel the club has done enough at the recreation ground '“ including putting tarmac on one side of the pitch, temporary fencing, a metal barrier and dugouts.

The application will made at a planning meeting this month and 18 letters of objection have already been sent to Rother District Council.

Keith Hoare lives in Eastergate and his garden backs onto the wide recreation ground with the football pitch set close by.

He and other neighbours believe they will be affected by light overspill from the pitch during evenings when late matches are held, with noise from players, spectators and cars leaving the ground after games.

They are also concerned by extra traffic and parking in Peartree Lane, and have additionally been told that the value of their properties could be lessened by up to 10 per cent once the floodlights have been installed.

Keith claims the football club has taken a number of measures which the council agreed to because they were temporary but then failed to follow up on '“ the dugouts for instance which are bolted into the ground, but should have been removed at the end of the season last year, and fencing which should have been taken away.

He says permission for the Tarmac path was applied for retrospectively after it was laid.

He thinks the football club is now going too far in its demands and commented: "It was, and still should be, a village recreation ground. I think the lights are a step too far."

Resident Ian Riches said the park is "public land for the residents of Bexhill and in particular the residents of Little Common to enjoy in an area of outstanding beauty" and added that he has experienced foul language during matches which he found "unacceptable", as do other neighbours.

Little Common FC chairman Ken Cherry told the Observer he was surprised by opposition to his plans and he wished residents would contact him to express their views.

He commented: "We have been there 40 odd years '“ that was a field when we first went there.

"The football ground was there before those houses were built. They have got it all out of perspective.

"We got a specialist to do the lighting and the overspill from it is negligible. We are not trying to be awkward in any way at all.

"They think the lights will be on every night of the week and every weekend, and it will be horrendous '“ but we don't want that. That is not what will happen. The council will control the amount of time we have the lights on '“ say from 7pm-10pm '“ and they will have to be off after then.

"It might be once a week or once a month.

"As for parking in Peartree Lane, we have car parking in the ground.

"People think we are going to have a 100,000 people going there. If we get 20 people and a dog we are lucky. We have got the car park in the ground to accommodate everyone, so cars won't be going to Peartree Lane or Green Lane."

Ken claims the club has done "as much to accommodate residents as we possible can."

He confirmed that the dugouts on the recreation ground are to be taken away and claimed this would be done at the end of this season.

"If anyone has a problem ring me and tell me," he concluded.

Ken Cherry can be contacted on 01424 217191.

Are the floodlights an intrusion for local residents? Leave your thoughts below.