Tennis club serves up new floodlights plan

STOCKTON Heath Tennis Club is making a new bid to win planning consent for floodlights at its Delphfields Road Road courts.
An application has been submitted to borough planning chiefs – backed up with advice from the Lawn Tennis Association.
The proposal is for floodlighting to five existing tennis courts, new perimeter fencing and conversion of two shale courts to all-weather surfaces.
It would mean all the club’s courts had artificial turf all-weather surfaces.
Over the years, the club has made a number of bids for floodlights but planners have rejected them because of the proximity of houses.
The club has shared floodlit courts at nearby Bridgewater High School after contributing to the cost of building them some years ago.
The new proposals have already been discussed with the borough council’s environmental protection department.
They have been designed to minimise any impact on nearby residents, with narrow beam distribution that focuses the light on the courts and reduces spillage into the surrounding area.
There would be shields to prevent light spilling into residential areas – and screening is already provided by substantial mature trees.
The club says it has a good relationship with its immediate neighbours and, in the event of any complaints, would take swift action to resolve them.