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Artist’s impression of how the new floodlights will look |
LORD'S TOLD:
LET THERE BE FLOODLIGHTS
Home of cricket given the go-ahead for night-time matches
ST John’s Wood will be decimated by noise, boozy cricket fans and dazzling lights, warn residents following a decision that will see Lord’s Cricket Ground host night-time matches for the first time in its history.
The prestigious ground can now host Twenty20 matches, a higher tempo version of the game described as “the crack cocaine of cricket”, after planning chiefs approved designs for four 50-metre retractable floodlights.
Residents turned out in force at last Thursday’s planning meeting to oppose the controversial plans, which they claim will bring a plague of anti-social behaviour and crowd noise to their streets on match days.
St John’s Wood Court Residents’ Assocation wrote to the council stating: “The Twenty20 World Cup [in the summer of 2009] will create a host of adverse impacts – it will attract huge crowds in the evening, there will be DJs playing loud music and more noise will be generated.
“The overall effect would be to generate levels and types of disturbance beyond any reasonable tolerance, in this densely residential and sensitive location.”
A number of conditions – including a limit of 16 night-time matches a season – were imposed on the ground, but many feel the terms should have been stricter.
Speaking after the meeting, Andrew Mainz, chairman of the St John’s Wood Society, said: “The big question here is whether Lord’s can deliver on their promises.
“Past experiments don’t bode well – they’ve been an absolute disaster. We fear there is going to be a problem with alcohol and drunk fans. It’s something we will monitor closely.
“Lord’s has been improving in their relationship with the local community and I just hope they stick to what they have promised.”
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has defended its proposals, saying they are a vast improvement on previous schemes.
Earlier tests of floodlight formations have been ill-fated, with motorists complaining of being dazzled, reports of UFO sightings and a litany of complaints from residents.
Planning chiefs threw out an application for six temporary Meccano-style floodlights in July because of the strength of opposition.
Keith Bradshaw, chief executive of the MCC said: “The MCC is delighted that Westminster Council has granted planning consent for floodlights at Lord’s.
“We have worked constructively with both the council and local residents over the past few months to ensure that we have a floodlighting solution that has as minimal an impact as possible on all those who live near Lord’s.
“This is an integral part of our overall vision of improving Lord’s for future generations of cricketers, members and cricket fans and safeguarding its position as the home of cricket.”
The lights must be dimmed to half strength at 9.50pm and be switched off by 11pm. The ground is also not allowed to sell alcohol after 9pm during the season, which runs from April to September.
Westminster Council’s planning committee chairman councillor Steve Summers said: “My committee has granted consent to these plans because we want to support Lord’s as a world class venue for cricket and we feel that the conditions we have asked for in granting permission will limit the impact on Westminster’s residents.
“We welcome the well-thought out design of these retractable lights and are pleased that they keep their impact on the local area to a minimum with the view from Regent’s Park not being affected.” |
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