Manly Vale sports field lighting: Council to install night time floodlights at busy reserve

Giant floodlights are being set up at a popular northern beaches’ sports field to increase time for training and games on our crowded pitches, despite almost 30 neighbours objecting.

Powerful floodlights are set to be installed at a busy sports ground to help boost the capacity of crowded playing fields on the northern beaches.

Planning authorities gave the go-ahead for eight light towers — up to 30m high — around Passmore Reserve at Manly Vale.

Close to 30 neighbouring residents had opposed the high-powered lights, which can stay on until as late as 9.15pm, complaining they would suffer increased night time noise from people using the ground; struggle to find parking; and have to fight traffic snarls on relatively narrow Campbell Pde.

But the decision by the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel was welcomed by local football administrators who said the $250,000 lighting would allow more time for training and, potentially, more competition matches on Friday nights.

The decision comes as the council works to address a drastic shortfall in playing fields across the northern beaches through its 2017 Northern Beaches Sportsground Strategy

This strategy proposed increasing capacity on sports fields through installing lights, improving drainage and reconfiguring the fields.

Passmore Reserve is used by the Manly Warringah Football Association (MWFA) for soccer matches. The park also hosts touch football and cricket.

MWFA CEO David Mason said that the 2017 sportsground strategy highlighted a significant under supply of sporting fields.

The strategy declared that the northern Beaches was 14 fields short of acceptable levels.

“At that time the MWFA had 17,648 players, which has now increased to 20,324 in 2021,” Mr Mason said.

“This year we have grown by more than 1700 players alone. The sports field equation is going backwards and we’re not the only sport growing.

Beacon Hill's Loredana Vescio and Manly Allambie United's Casey Eagleton battle for possession during their Premier League soccer match at Miller's Reserve at Manly Vale. Football administrators say putting floodlights on more grounds will allow more time for training and games. Picture: Troy Snook

“Well considered lighting and all-weather sporting field projects are the balanced and effective solution to keep up with the desire of the Northern Beaches Council residents to take part in organised sport and is a lot more fathomable than clearing land and repurposing golf courses, which were both rejected just four years ago.”

Mr Mason said the lighting at Passmore Reserve would allow an extra 20 hours of training per week on two and a half fields.

“That equates to 50 hours of training hours for teams that are currently squeezing onto other pitches and putting further strain on Council resources to maintain those overused fields.”

As part of a plan of management the lights have to be switched off by 8.45pm on Monday to Thursday; 9.15pm on Friday; 7pm on Saturday and: 6.15pm on Sunday.

Locals are concerned that the noise coming Passmore Reserve during sports during the day will be replicated at night. Picture: Manly Daily

But local Jenny Pierson wrote to the council, opposing the light towers.

“We already have horns, whistles and cheering noise from (nearby) Nolan’s Reserve at night,” Ms Pierson wrote.

“Having the use of Passmore Reserve at night will significantly intrude on the evening

noise levels in the area.

“I did not purchase a property in this area to have a sports’ field operating at night with associated noise intrusions.”

Council CEO Ray Brownlee told the manly Daily there was “strong demand for sports grounds and facilities across the local government area.

“Council is committed to increasing the capacity of our sports fields,” Mr Brownlee said.

“I’m pleased that the development application to install new lighting at Passmore Reserve has been approved. Additional training capacity at Passmore Reserve will take the pressure off other nearby fields, improving the quality of those sportsfields.”