St Ann’s Tennis CIC has submitted a planning application to install modern, energy-efficient court lighting on the tennis courts in St Ann’s Well Gardens.
The planning application is now live on the Brighton & Hove Council website. Click here.
We consider improved lighting to be a vital step in increasing court accessibility for both adults and juniors. Court lighting will provide up to six additional hours of tennis every day per court. Adults will be able to play after work, children will be able to play after school and, significantly, we will be able to offer our popular after-school juniors’ clubs year-round, not just during the summer term. The planning application also includes a request to install two storage units behind the court fence on the Sommerhill Road side of the park. These are necessary to house the electrical infrastructure and store the equipment required to run the facility.
Since St Ann’s Tennis Community Interest Company was formed in 2020, we have made substantial investments to improve the facilities at the courts. As a result, participation in tennis at St Ann’s Well Gardens has soared. Last year, we agreed a 20-year lease with the council. Experience tells us that the more social use the courts receive, the less anti-social behaviour occurs in that corner of the park. In recent months, we’ve noticed a significant reduction in the volume of incidents around the tennis courts: less graffiti, aggressive behaviour, public drinking, and litter in the area.
About the lights
The lighting scheme we are proposing, designed by lighting specialists Highlights, has been designed to have minimal impact on the surrounding residential area and will produce zero upward light or “sky glow.” This is a top priority for us. The proposed system has been designed in accordance with the Institute of Lighting Professionals’ Guidance Notes for the Reduction of Obtrusive Light. Energy-efficient LED technology will ensure that any light spillage is kept to an absolute minimum. We will also be installing shields and directional fittings to focus light solely on the courts, preventing disruption to nearby homes and reducing any adverse impact on birds and wildlife. The supporting columns will have a maximum diameter of just 114mm and will be no higher than 8m, ensuring they visually blend in with the park’s natural green surroundings. See sample below:
All the lights will feature smart controls, so they switch off automatically when courts are not in use. The new lighting system will improve visibility for all park users during the winter months and help deter anti-social behaviour, making the park a safer environment for everyone. The lights will typically be available to players up until 9pm and will never remain on after 10pm.
We are also proposing a trial lighting period to assess impact and make any necessary adjustments. Our aim is to maintain an open dialogue with local representatives and park users and to provide regular updates via social media and dedicated newsletters.
See the 2025 Heritage Report for tennis at St Ann’s Well Gardens here.
After years of neglect, tennis is now thriving at St Ann’s Well Gardens. St Ann’s Tennis is an LTA-registered venue. We have an outstanding team of LTA qualified tennis coaches: Jimmy, David, Petra and Ben. Our St Ann’s teams are excelling in the Brighton & Hove Parks League, and we’ve just started our own St Ann’s Junior team, ages 10-14. As well as a busy juniors coaching programmes, St Ann’s Tennis hosts weekly adult disability sessions with local charity Grace Eyre, as well as a Sport in Mind group focusing on mental health.
Conclusion
The installation of tennis court lighting at St Ann’s Tennis will enhance access to these popular recreational facilities. By involving the local community and welcoming input, we aim to ensure that these improvements benefit both tennis players and the broader neighbourhood, while maintaining the unique character of the park. We welcome your feedback regarding the planning application and look forward to working together to create a vibrant and inclusive sporting environment for all.
We appreciate the support of the Friends Of St Ann’s Well Gardens, who do so much to maintain and preserve the best aspects of the park. “We have noticed that there has been consideration put into the wellbeing of the park’s wildlife and that it has been determined that the lighting will enhance the players’ experience without detriment to our flora and fauna . Additionally, we believe that the addition of lighting on the courts will make the park a safer place for the public in general ; it means there will be more people walking through the park in the evening , to and from the courts, which will act as something of a deterrent to anti social activity. We look forward to a continued relationship with your excellent project.”
Message of support from local residents, posted on the Council website:
“I live right by the courts and use them regularly. The courts have created such a nice community and lighting would help this to continue and develop throughout the winter when many people can only play after 4pm. This could also help the park to feel safer and reduced anti social behaviour in the winter months. The lighting has been well considered to have limited impact on neighbours and wildlife and would not be on too late anyway. People of all ages would benefit from this and would help tennis to be more accessible and park based, rather than tennis only thriving in private clubs.”
“I fully support this application. I live on Nizells Avenue which is the road next to the park and have two children that use the tennis courts every week. Having floodlights will allow them to play tennis before and after school in the winter months which is currently not possible. I have looked at the type of lighting being proposed and given it is a modern, purpose built system, I am confident that it will cause no issues for the surrounding homes including my own. The other benefit of having lighting on in the park during dark hours is that it will reduce anti-social behaviour and drinking which can often take place when the park is in the dark. In summary this is an excellent idea and great for the local community.”
“As a local resident I am in favour of this, it will expand a wonderful facility and will have a positive impact on safety. There don’t appear to be any street lights on in the park after dark so this will help and having more people around will deter anti-social behaviour.”
“We live in Park Gate on Somerhill Road and use St Ann’s Tennis regularly as a family and as individuals. I am a member of the tennis club, and I also co-organise a group of dads from Brunswick Primary School to play tennis regularly. My son attends the junior tennis club. We have long been wanting floodlighting to be installed on the courts in order to be able to use it all year. […] We, as a family, therefore strongly support the erection of the floodlighting, and the erection of two storage buildings for St Ann’s Tennis. Thank you very much for your consideration.”
“I live on Nizells Avenue and also use the tennis courts several times per week during the summer months. Floodlights will obviously mean myself and many others are able to continue playing throughout winter. The park is very dark in winter – and can sometimes attract antisocial behaviour. Lighting from the tennis courts will also contribute to a sense of safety for those of us who live here, and walk along Nizells and Somerhill Avenues at night.”
“I am a local resident and businessman […] I strongly believe that a lit court will encourage more positive social behaviour in the area. It will help deter antisocial activity and keep the park vibrant and safe as the evenings grow shorter.”
“I live on Somerhill Road and I fully support the plan for new lighting at the tennis courts in the park. Better lighting will make a real difference for the local community, as it will allow more people to use the courts safely during the darker winter months, helping everyone to stay active and healthy. It will also make the park safer overall by ensuring it is well lit and welcoming in the evenings, with the regular presence of players and positive activity deterring antisocial behaviour.”
“As both a member of the club and local resident, I fully support this proposal to add lighting to the tennis courts. Not only will it allow members and the public to make more use of the courts in the winter months (an obvious local health / community benefit), but as someone that has children that have historically enjoyed the park, having more people using the courts into the winter afternoons and early evenings would certainly add to more safer environment too.”
“I am a local resident, use the St Ann’s Well Gardens park almost every day, and use the tennis courts regularly. I support this application. In my opinion it will have a positive affect on the park, its users and the local community. In particular, it will extend the time that the park is able to be used for general social use/sport.”
“St. Ann’s Well Garden is both my local park and I am a member of the Tennis club. The parks and club have been thriving since it has turned into a CIC from pure council ownership. It’s clear that further investment in floodlights will continue this trajectory and allow the park to be more comfortably used in the winter evenings. The plans and models (of LEDs) seem to provide all the shelter need for nearby residents to avoid disturbance.”
“I fully support this application. I live close to St Ann’s Well Gardens and use the park on most days. The popularity of the tennis courts has grown exponentially over the past few years. It’s wonderful to see people of all ages playing sport. I’ve also noticed with more people using the park, there has been less anti-social behaviour and a decrease in graffiti. It’s really important to make sport accessible throughout the year.”
“As a local resident, I’m very supportive of this – it would allow the courts to be used significantly more, especially during the winter months when there are fewer options for exercise and healthy activities. The guest fee at St Ann’s is also very reasonable, making this a very inclusive proposal”
