Crossfields Volley?

Part of keeping up with village life for Tarvinonline is going to the monthly Parish Council meeting. Someone has to do it! At 7.15 there is always a 15 min open forum for members of the public to raise any issues of concern. Normally I arrive at 7.14 and there is a wide choice of seats to settle into within the area of the Edna Rose room reserved for the public. Not this last Monday when I discovered it was standing room only!

At 7.15 I knew why. Its all about the lights the whisper came, just in case I was unaware.
The scene for what was to come just happened to be set by a separate complaint about the light at the Scout hut that seemed to be incapable of being turned off at a reasonable time affecting residents in a property adjacent to the Rec. Apparently this could easily be addressed and resolved (at a cost!) by the Field Management Committee.
If only everything was that simple to solve.

There then followed a number of Crossfield residents who lived close to the tennis courts raising their deeply felt concerns about the possible impact of the proposed floodlighting on their properties.
Obviously the Council members do not respond to the points raised there and then but do take them into account when the agenda item concerned is reached.

Where was the environmental impact assessment?
Crickey I thought this is not the usual type of question asked when planning applications come before the Parish Council! This then got all technical as projected light intensity readings at ground level were detailed on the screen. Not only on-court readings but likely readings as we wandered across into the neighbouring gardens.

Was anyone convinced by this? Certainly not the Crossfields residents who had stayed to listen to the debate and often could not contain their disagreement. I thought the cry might go out as in parliament of "clear the public gallery". The Chair managed to keep the discussion going without resorting to expulsion from the meeting. That certainly would have been a first for Tarvin.
Never mind the lights – what about the 8 metre towers they were attached to? There would be 6 towers and visually detrimental to residents came the cry and this will affect our house prices.
In the end the Council decided they should try to ensure that the application goes before a full CWaC Planning Committee, rather than be decided by a Planning Officer alone. This process known as "calling in" an application could be initiated by the Borough Councillors ( who were present throughout the discussions) if Tarvin Parish Council presented their arguments. Perhaps we will all hear about the Environmental Impact Assessment after all.

The whole situation is further complicated by the fact that the Tennis Club lease the land in the King George V Recreational field. The responsibility for the use of the Rec is in the hands of a Charity and the Trustee ,who is charged with ensuring that the Trust's objectives are followed is- you guessed it the Parish Council!
What a tangled web. Who said nothing ever exciting happens in Tarvin?