Mowbray Residents Launch a Petition to Stop Floodlights on Mowbray Oval

By
ITC1
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The Mowbray Oval next to the Mowbray Public School forms part of the Willoughby Council Open Space. Willoughby Council currently has a plan to install floodlights on the oval.  Residents living next door to the oval have launched a petition to stop this proposal.  Willoughby City Council first mooted this proposal in their Open Space and Recreation Plan.

Presently the oval is used by Mowbray Public School for school and sport. Other floodlit local sports ovals (Artarmon Reserve and Blackman Park) have no housing around their perimeters and off street parking.

The new floodlights will impact residents in Ulm Street Lane Cove North.

For residents in Ulm Street, the proposed extended hours of use have a direct and ongoing environmental impact to their homes as follows:

  • Parking: there is no off street parking.  Currently Ulm and surrounding streets are full when sports matches or training is on.  It is a small dead end, which is already impacted.
  • Curfew: Once the lights are installed there is nothing to stop Council from extending the proposed curfew beyond 9pm.
  • Light:  the glow from the oval lights will illuminate the backyards on the south side of the street.  Each and every evening, all year round.  This has a direct impact on residents with young families, or elderly residents disturbed by light.
  • Local parkland: Mowbray Oval was saved from potential redevelopment for the new school build, in part to protect one of the few precious open space within the fast growing community. Single residence housing has been replaced with hundreds of units along and behind Mowbray Road.  Extended sporting hours of use until after dark, summer and winter, will severely restrict community access.
  • Noise: adult sports matches, particularly soccer, is noisy and verbally aggressive.  Every word, call and comment can be heard clearly from Ulm Street backyards.  Increasing hours of play effectively means an extended curfew for all noise every evening.

If you support this petition then you can sign the petition here.

 

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