An application by Oxford City Council to light a car park in the Horspath Sports Ground, in the Greenbelt, has been rejected by the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds that it would cause light pollution and ‘add to the creeping urbanization into the Green Belt’. 

In November 2006, OCC applied to South Oxfordshire for permission to light part of a car park which is adjacent to a Sports Ground near Horspath village, which is already floodlit when events are in progress. The Sports Ground is in the Green Belt and at a particularly crucial point where the open land between the City boundary and Horspath village is very narrow. 

Officers at SODC recommended to the planning committee in February 2007 that the application should be granted, and further light pollution in the Green Belt accepted.

CPRE Thame District disagreed, as did the Parish Council and the Oxford Green Belt Network. 

CPRE told Councillors at the Planning Committee Meeting that light pollution in the countryside – even when it was further pollution on top of that existing – was unacceptable; that whilst Green Belt regulations allowed facilities for Sport this meant essential facilities only, not floodlighting public car parks. After a lively discussion, Councillors overwhelmingly agreed with the CPRE’s point of view and voted by 11 to 1 to overturn the officer’s recommendation and refuse the application.  

In due course the City Council appealed and CPRE attended the Public Hearing in January, making its case all over again, side by side with the Parish Council.

The Inspector agreed with the CPRE that light pollution was an increasing problem; that further light encroachment into the Green Belt was unacceptable, even where lighting already existed; and – very importantly – that even if the lighting provided a public benefit – in this case security – it was overridden by the need to preserve the integrity of the Green Belt.  

He said, in part: ‘There is growing concern regarding light pollution in the countryside and the proliferation of night light in the area of the appeal site would add to the creeping urbanisation into the Green Belt, to the detriment of the rural character of the area. As well as conflicting with the stated purposes of the Oxford Green Belt, the appeal proposals would also fail to conform with Policy EP3 of the Local Plan, which rejects external lighting proposals that would adversely affect the rural character of the countryside.’ 

He continued: ‘I acknowledge that there is a palpable risk of crime in the car park. I, therefore, agree that the proposed development would accord with central government guidance on crime prevention as set out in PPS 1. However, I do not consider that these benefits would outweigh the harm that would be caused to the character, appearance and visual qualities of the area or to the consistency and integrity of the Green Belt’.

For a copy of the Appeal Decision see here.