PLANNING permission was granted for floodlights adjacent to a Colwyn Bay primary school, despite residents complaining bright lights and noise would disrupt their lives.
Applicant Sophia Hathaway applied for permission to erect four eight-metre high floodlights at an existing multi-use games area (MUGA) adjacent to Ysgol Pen y Bryn on Wentworth Avenue in Upper Colwyn Bay.
But at a planning committee meeting at Bodlondeb, councillors heard how residents had written opposing the plans.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Ralph Becker, who lived on Wentworth Avenue, said the associated lights and noise would disrupt his life.
“My house is opposite the school,” he said.
“I’m the closest house to the MUGA. I’ve got five windows facing that direction. My house will have the highest exposure to these lights.
“I consider that an unacceptably strong light so close to my house. It is in the middle of a residential area.”
He added: “The second point is the extra noise. Obviously it will be ball games being played there, and there will be shouting. The MUGA is quite small, so there will be a lot of banging of the ball against metal.”
But planning officer Ceri Thomas informed councillors that the light level was well below the limits set.
Cllr Ifor Lloyd proposed councillors backed the floodlights, and this was seconded by Cllr Jo Nutall, and the vote was unanimously in favour of the application.
Cllr Dave Jones appeared to sum up the consensus.
“The MUGA is way short of the properties,” he said.
“The lights wouldn’t be on past 7 pm, not all the evening. It is a play area. MUGAs are for playing, and playgrounds are for playing, and playing children are noisy, and that is accepted, and they need these lights when it gets dark in the early evenings, especially in winter to keep them safe.”
