NINE 16 metre high floodlighting columns will illuminate a 'tranquil valley' on the outskirts of Tavistock, after West Devon's planning committee ignored officers' recommendations at their meeting last week.
The request for planning consent for the floodlights came from Kelly College, which is laying a brand new all-weather Astroturf surface on an existing pitch next to the main Okehampton to Tavistock road.
Planning officers recommended the application be rejected, mainly because the borough landscape officer claimed the lighting columns would be 'extremely intrusive' and 'detrimental to character' in what was described as a 'tranquil valley'.
But John Wright, chairman of Kelly College governors, said the borough's planning policies were in conflict — on one hand the valley should be protected, but on the other, providers of local employment should be supported and planning decisions applied fairly and consistently.
Mr Wright said: 'Tranquil can mean either peaceful or quiet — I ask whether Kelly playing fields, divided by the A386, can reasonably be described that way.
'The only people who might be disturbed by the visual impact of what is proposed are in the college itself.
'Nor does tranquil spring to my mind as a description of a main road bounded on one side by a girls boarding house and on the other by playing fields on which up to 180 children exercise their lungs as well as their limbs.'
Cllr Dennis Bater, committee vice chairman, said: 'The committee felt there were floodlights throughout Tavistock and they didn't really think that valley was as tranquil as was claimed by the officer.
'At Pitts Cleave you have lights on all night, they have them at Crowndale, at the College — the only people that will be bothered by them are at Kelly and they're going to be restricted anyway.'
The committee agreed to grant Kelly College planning permission for the floodlighting columns, provided they are not used outside the hours of 6am to 9pm.