8 Good Reasons for Objecting

Objections can be submitted using the 'Comments' section of the planning application page but this 'times out' after about 30 minutes, so for longer objections, send an email, including the reference number and your name and address to planning@westoxon.gov.uk
Alternatively you can send a letter, quoting the application reference number, together with your full name and address, to: Head of Planning and Sustainable Communities, West Oxfordshire District Council, Elmfield, New Yatt Road, Witney OX28 1PB
Our advice is that an individually written email/letter carries more weight than a ‘template letter’, but do include any of these reasons (and add any more of your own!).
Do remember to quote the all important policy numbers! The numbers are sufficient but you can see the actual wording of all the relevant policies here.
Remember you can write more than one objection letter if the subject matter is different.
Objections will probably still be accepted by WODC after 30th December 2021, but those submitted sooner will help the Planning Officer make their decision.

1. The Impact on the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

The Cotswolds is the largest of the UK’s AONBs.
The main purpose of AONB designation is to conserve and enhance natural beauty.
AONBs are increasingly threatened by creeping urbanisation.

The Impact:

The light pollution caused by floodlighting at this location will destroy the beautiful clear night skies we enjoy as well as harming the countryside, its natural beauty and its wildlife.
Floodlighting will have a hugely negative impact on the intrinsic character of the Cotswolds landscape and its tranquillity.
Policies protecting The Cotswolds seek to remove sources of light pollution, not add to them.
Floodlighting would be an obtrusive and incongruous form of development in this location.

This is contrary to these policies:

Policy CE5 ‘Dark Skies’ of the Cotswolds Conservation Board Management Plan
Policy EH1 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031).
Policy EH2 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031).

2. The Impact on the Shipton-under-Wychwood Conservation Area

Shipton-under-Wychwood is designated a Conservation Area which is defined as a place of special architectural or historic interest, having a particular character or appearance worth preserving or enhancing.

The Impact:

Floodlighting would significantly impact on the rural character and tranquillity of Shipton-under -Wychwood and would neither preserve nor enhance its appearance. Floodlighting is therefore a totally inappropriate form of development for our village.
Because of the position of the tennis courts and the height and size of the light fittings, the floodlighting would be very prominent and highly visible in both the immediate and surrounding areas. It would detrimentally affect the views into and around the area whether illuminated or not.
The courts are close to Shipton-under-Wychwood Church which is Grade l listed and several other Grade ll listed buildings (and tombs) including the original Primary School buildings, The Old Prebendal House and parts of The Wychwood Inn.
Floodlighting is the creeping urbanisation of our rural community.

This is contrary to these policies:

Section 16 of the NPPF
Section 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
Policy EH10 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031)

3. The Impact on Ecology and the Environment

The following wildlife is frequently seen in the gardens and on land surrounding the tennis courts, many of them protected species: bats, owls (including barn owls), badgers, several species of deer, hedgehogs, grass snakes and a massive variety of birdlife. There are also several ponds (including a large wildlife pond just 11 metres from the courts), home to a wide variety of amphibians, including great crested newts which are on the brink of extinction.
Millions of insects, attracted to the ultra-bright lighting, would be killed every night. Insects are an essential part of the food chain for many birds and animals so this would further contribute to biodiversity loss.

The Impact:

Loss of biodiversity is one of the biggest threats to the planet along with climate change. In 2019, the WODC Biodiversity Officer wrote of exactly the same lighting proposal: ‘..the proposed floodlighting at this location is likely to cause biodiversity harm’.
Floodlights would wreak havoc with the circadian rhythms of all this wildlife. It would turn night into day and eliminate dusk and potentially dawn, which are such important times for many animals.
The exceptionally bright lighting level and intermittent nature (being switched on and off constantly) would be hugely disorientating for roosting/nesting birds and nocturnal animals and would discourage bats from using their established foraging corridors.
Floodlighting will affect the feeding, breeding and movement patterns of many animals, forcing those that survive, deeper into the ever receding countryside.

This is contrary to these policies:

Policy EH3 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031)
Policy EH4 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031)

4. The Impact on Visual Amenity

Visual amenity refers to the views and surroundings that create the backdrop to an area.

The Impact:

The floodlights, with their ten fittings mounted on nine 6 metre high poles (the court fence is 2.75m high), will have an overbearing appearance during the day, when seen against the skyline. They will detract from the open nature of the area which is much used by local residents for access, play and recreation of all kinds.
At night, when lit, the floodlighting would be visually obtrusive and have a highly significant visual impact in terms of glare and skyglow from a distance as well as light potentially trespassing into neighbouring homes and gardens. This makes it an incongruous and intrusive form of development.
Reflected light off the court surface will effectively floodlight any light coloured surfaces, particularly the village hall and the trees. Note that reflection is not accounted for in the lighting calculations.
Glare and reflection are exacerbated by moist atmospheric conditions such as mist and fog. Shipton, being in the valley bottom, is often subject to these conditions.

This is contrary to these policies:

Policies OS2 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031)
Policy OS4 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031)
Policy EH8 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031)

5. The Impact on Residential Amenity

Residential amenity is defined as ‘the benefit enjoyed from the physical external space which is part of the private home’. It’s basically about the health and well-being of residents and their ability to enjoy their homes and gardens without being subjected to nuisance such as intrusive light, an overbearing outlook, noise etc.
The floodlighting will be used in autumn and spring as well as winter - from October until mid-May.

The Impact:

The tennis courts are surrounded by housing on 3 sides - the courts are visible from well over 20 homes. They will all be significantly adversely affected, potentially every day for 7.5 months of the year, potentially with light trespass into their windows and gardens.
The floodlights could be in use as early as 3pm in the winter or on dull days - they are not just used at night.
The floodlighting would be on motion sensors and the courts individually switched, so they could be intermittently on and off all evening, which would be a source of huge irritation and annoyance for neighbouring properties, potentially affecting mental health.
There will also be loss of tranquility due to the associated noise.
As such, the floodlights would have a significantly harmful impact on the amenity of local residents.

This is contrary to these policies:

Policy OS2 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031)
Policy OS4 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031)

6. Need

Many floodlit tennis court facilities are available (either as clubs or pay and play) within a 10 mile radius of Shipton-under-Wychwood (Chipping Norton, Charlbury, Witney, Moreton-in-Marsh, Bourton-on-the-Water. Hook Norton is 11 miles away but much closer to Chipping Norton where a sizeable number of WTC members drive from. Witney has been ear-marked for an LTA Indoor Tennis Centre in the future. This considerable supply should be sufficient to meet current and future demand.
It should be noted that more than half of the WTC members live outside the Wychwood villages, many of them driving to Shipton-under-Wychwood from places where floodlit courts already exist (eg Chipping Norton). The tennis courts cannot therefore be considered as either a local or community facility.
Children's tennis coaching is currently taking place as Kingham Hill School. As the coaching company, Cotswold Tennis Academy points out in their advertising, this is a warm indoor environment with toilet facilities and a balcony where parents can watch. WTC has no clubhouse or facilities and parents would need to wait in their cars with the engines running for heating, adding to noise and air pollution.
There has been no identified need for floodlit tennis courts within Shipton-under-Wychwood itself. Approximately 7.5% of the population are members. The village has a well-above the national average number of 65+ residents, who are able to play during the day.
WTC claims 220 juniors but there are no figures for where they live.

7. Noise, Nuisance and Increased Traffic Generation

The majority of WTC members live outside Shipton-under-Wychwood and drive to the courts anyway. Even those in Shipton would be likely to drive after dark. This, plus the ferrying of junior players back and forth by parents, would lead to significantly increased traffic generation resulting in air pollution and noise nuisance for local residents. Immediate neighbours will also have light disturbance from headlights due to increased traffic generation.
Tennis can be a noisy sport, particularly junior coaching. Cardio tennis (tennis-orientated exercise to loud music) and social evenings (note: there is no clubhouse so these would be outdoors) are also proposed, all of which will affect the tranquillity and residential amenity of the neighbourhood.
The intermittent switching on and off of the floodlighting between the 2 courts over the course of an evening will be a significant nuisance and huge irritant for local residents.

This is contrary to these policies:

Policy EH8 of the West Oxfordshire Plan (2031)
Policy OS2 of the West Oxfordshire Plan (2031)
Policy OS4 of the West Oxfordshire Plan (2031)

8. In Conclusion

It is clear that any benefit to a small number of tennis players does not outweigh the significant and detrimental impact of floodlighting on the Conservation Area of Shipton under Wychwood and the amenities of its residents, the Cotswolds AONB, ecology and the environment.
Floodlighting in this rural location would be an inappropriate, incongruous and intrusive form of development.
Floodlighting would be contrary to Policies OS2, OS4, EH1, EH3, EH4, EH8 and EH10 of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan (2031), Policy CE5 'Dark Skies' of the Cotswolds Conservation Board Management Plan, Section 16 of the NPPF and Section 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.