CASTLE ROYLE GOLF CLUB EXTERIOR LIGHTING TO CAR PARK

  Castle Royal is a development on the Green Belt approved circa 1995 (application 42813) and situated on the A4 at Knowl Hill (Wokingham DC). The club house was completed last year (1998) and is a major development effecting residents in Windsor and Maidenhead U A, and two adjoining Parish Councils. In July 1999, residents were taken by surprise when flood lights were used to illuminate the car park which is 0.5 km to the West of Knowl Hill and in a direct line of sight. This materially affected the amenity of residents as far as Littlewick Green and two astronomical observatories owing to extensive Light Pollution.

  I wrote a strong letter of complaint on 5 July 1999 and visited the Planning Office where I discovered that the Club was in breach of the application to erect the lamps which fortunately had not been approved. Thirteen letters of complaint were written by residents including members of the Maidenhead and Reading Astronomical Societies together with the full support of two Parish Councils. The Planning Office prepared an enforcement order on the Club. I also wrote letters describing "Good lighting" and sent a copy of the Guidance notes for Reducing Light Pollution (Institution of Lighting Engineers) to Wokingham District Council and two Parish Councils (Hurley and Wargrave).

  The plans included 20 x 250W MB1 Merlin Floodlights c/w asymmetric Distribution Reflectors. A number of 80W MBF/u Erdinton Bollards and a number of 70W MB1 Moon Lanterns. There were also 20 or so buried up-lighters.

  The Exterior Lighting Plan was refused (22 July 1999) for the following reasons:

  ". . . quality, location and scale, will form an obtrusive feature to the detriment of the Green Belt and surrounding residential, dwellings . . . and contrary to Policy 15 of the Green Belt Local Plan for Berkshire . . ."

  In October it became apparent that the Club was not going to switch them off entirely despite refusal of the plan. Residents made a diary of times when the lights were on and I used facilities in the observatory to obtain video of the car park to extract more exact timings. I also measured the light intensity with a hand held Weston Master V incident Light meter and compared the illumination while in the car park with other typical installations to illustrate the over-intense nature of the lighting.

LIGHT INTENSITY

  Illumination at night measured 1m above ground on a scale from 0 to 13 (13 = full day light (blue sky)).

  In the darker evenings it was also apparent that up-lighters were also being used.

  The club placed an amended lighting plan before the District Council (8 August 1999) but this did not address the major concerns. As I write, the Club have placed a second proposal.

  This drawing (plan) retains the footpath bollards, removes the up-lighters and 6m column flood lights which were the main sources of light spill and introduces about 130 70Watt JC827/1000 Son bollard lamps (plain head) which surrounds all the car park bays at a height of 1,250mm. About 30 to 40 of these will be visible from the Knowl Hill side (in my estimation) depending on where you view them. There are a total of about 90 on the Knowl Hill side and 40 to the West of the Club house.

  How will this appear? They are not louvred (ie shielded) so how much direct light will be visible? There is also no mention of permitted times of illumination suggested by Hurley Parish Council.

  Comments on the plan are expected by 2 June 2000.

23 May 2000