Neighbours living near a new school in Caversham have complained about lights from a sports pitch disturbing them when the sun goes down.
The residents live next to Mapledurham Playing Fields, where a permanent home for The Heights Primary School was built.
The school opened in September last year, and came with a multi-use games area (MUGA).
Yet there have been complaints that light from the MUGA is disturbing neighbours in Hewitt Close and Hewitt Avenue.
READ MORE: Neighbours complain about noise 'throughout the day' coming from new Caversham school
Neighbours are represented by the Warren & District Residents Association (WADRA), which is made up of around 250 households.
Explaining the issue, WADRA member Elisa Del Galdo said: “The MUGA has been built on the cheap.
“They currently have four lights. In order for them to have a spill, to overlap, they need to be directed properly.
“What’s happening here is the lights have been tipped up, so the footprint of the light is bigger, but it’s also less intense, which means you have to make them brighter, you have to have a bigger spill, and you have to tip them up.
“The light goes straight into the houses. Those lights are going into those people’s lounges who are being looked in on during the day by children.
“The MUGA should have six lights. That brings the spill down much smaller.
“There could even be eight lights and that way the light remains within the border of the MUGA, then you put collars on them, so it doesn’t spill back. It’s just doing things on the cheap.”
Photos taken by WADRA member Martin Brommell shows the brightness of the lights.
Karen Edwards, The Heights Primary School headteacher, was keen to stress that her and school governors meet regularly with residents to discuss complaints they’ve raised.
On the lights issue, Mrs Edwards said: “The MUGA lights have been on for an hour a week in the evening.
“We understand that’s still one hour a week, it’s not convenient.
“We have met with the council’s environment officers about it.
“We had no say over the MUGA design, which was designed to specifications from the Government and Sports England.
“There is a glare, so we’ve reduced the strength of the lights from 60 to 40.
“The residents have still said there’s a glare for those facing Hewitt Avenue.
“We are now working on putting cowling around the MUGA lights.
“That’s something my site manager is working on with contractors to make sure we have in place for Autumn when the lights become regularly used.
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“We’ve had regular meetings to see what the impact has been. There are some things that are out of our control, but we’re doing what we can to limit the impact of us being here.”
The school also has frosted windows to enhance privacy and prevent children looking into neighbour’s gardens, and told cleaners to close blinds when they are working to reduce light pollution further.
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