Tennis club plans could affect nesting bats in Bedford village

Concerns over bats have been raised by a parish council following an application to install new lights at a village tennis club.

A planning application for a lighting system for the two tennis courts at Harrold Tennis Club has been submitted to Bedford Borough Council.

The courts are at the rear of the Harrold Centre, on the village’s High Street.

The application said although this system will do the same thing as conventional floodlights, allowing tennis to be played after the natural light fades, it is not lighting on columns.

It “simply” involves two strips of LED lighting along the top of the tennis court fencing.

However, planning documents show that Harrold Parish Council had resolved to object to the application.

Its objection said although the tennis courts are right on the edge of the conservation area (CA), “it will have an impact” on the buildings within the CA and on the listed buildings close by.

It goes on to say that light pollution may have a negative effect on nesting birds and bats, and the nearby brook is currently dark and unlit.

The objection added that MKA Ecology, an ecological consultancy, carried out a brook ecology study on behalf of the parish council in 2020, and stated that a “high likelihood” that the brook is used for bats for foraging and commuting.

“Bright lights are known to reduce social flight activity and cause bats to move away to an alternative dark area,” the objection went on to say.

“Further, illuminating a bat roost may cause the bats to desert the roost.”

If the application is approved, the parish council has requested that planning officers consider adding a condition to restrict the lighting to no earlier than 7am and no later than 9pm.

More information can be found on the council’s planning portal, reference 22/02417/FUL.

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