Football club says the 15-metre light columns are necessary for Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre to host European youth fixtures this season, reports James Cracknell
New floodlights installed at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre have been slammed as “devastating” for wildlife and “blinding” for visitors at Forty Hall.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) recently installed the six new floodlights without prior planning permission – but is now seeking retrospective approval from Enfield Council.
The Premier League club states that the 15-metre floodlights are needed in order to host European youth fixtures at the training ground this season, following qualification for the Champions League.
As well as the floodlights, the club has installed a new stand overlooking one of its pitches, which lies adjacent to both Forty Hall Estate and Myddelton House Gardens.
While the training ground already has floodlights to illuminate some of its other pitches, the new ones are brighter, as they must comply with UEFA regulations for competitive games.
Sam Tillbrook, an Enfield resident and member of the Guardians of Whitewebbs group which has been campaigning against the new Spurs women’s academy at Whitewebbs Park, has objected to the floodlights after being “shocked” to see them on a recent visit to Forty Hall.
Forty Hall often hosts evening events, so public access sometimes remains even after dark. The floodlights are also needed during daylight hours on cloudy days.
In his objection to the council, which will shortly decide the THFC planning application, Sam wrote: “I was shocked to walk into Forty Hall Estate on 14th November and to be struck by industrial-size, blinding, telescopic floodlights, which not only completely detracted from the heritage setting, but must surely also be devastating to bats, other nocturnal wildlife and most animals in general.
“It actually looks rather dystopian, and I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. That’s quite something, considering I was standing nearly 800 metres away from the floodlights. I note that in the planning application’s ‘lighting assessment’, it mentioned that the floodlights emit 134,000 lumens, which is an extreme level of brightness.”
He added: “I cannot object more strongly to this application, and very much trust Enfield Council will reject it, and will fine the applicant for their outrageous actions.”
THFC states in its planning application that the floodlights are “temporary” and will be removed after 31st March 2026 – suggesting the club is not planning on qualifying for the Champions League again in 2026/27.
It also states the training centre pitch “sits within a viewing corridor from Forty Hall” but that “it is screened by an established area of trees which limit any views” of the pitch where the floodlights have been installed. Photographs of the floodlights, however, contradict this statement.
In a cover letter to the council dated 7th October, James Beynon, director of THFC’s planning consultants Quod, said: “UEFA impose strict requirements for facilities hosting youth league matches and THFC do not currently have a facility that can satisfy all of these.
“The U19 team usually play at the training centre and will continue to do so for UEFA matches […] it is not feasible to play the games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium given that the first team game is scheduled for later the same day.”
Beynon adds: “Floodlights would only be used when strictly necessary and, in the event of poor lighting or a later kick off, they would not be used beyond the training centre’s 8.30pm restriction.”
For its planning application, consultancy firm EDP Environmental conducted a lighting assessment on behalf of Tottenham Hotspur, which states: “The proposed lighting solution will illuminate the pitch to the required standard […] any light spill will be largely contained within the immediate area around Pitch A2.
“There will be minimal light spill to the adjoining pitches and other surrounding areas.”
THFC was approached for comment but did not respond. The council was also approached for comment.
Find out more about the floodlights via the council’s planning portal using reference number 25/03473/FUL.
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