A RESIDENT is calling for the Sunshine Leisure Centre to switch off its lighting overnight to save energy and stop a glare that streams onto his neighbourhood.
The resident, who did not want his name published, has lived in Kennedy Avenue for more than 30 years.
He said he had driven home from work at 3am on many occasions to find the lights of the centre still beaming onto the street.
“It looks like a giant space station all lit up,” he said.
“I’ve counted more than 55 spotlights that glare out onto the street 24 hours a day, directly into my family home and the surrounding houses.”
He said his 85-year-old mother, who also lives in the house, often struggled to get to sleep due to light flooding through the house.
“In summer the situation is far worse,” he said. “It’s not uncommon for the centre staff to leave the outdoor radio on overnight.”
He said while the council had received funding to implement projects to improve energy efficiency and slash electricity costs, he had not seen any change in the energy used by the leisure centre.
Council’s general manager of community wellbeing, Neil Whiteside, said the leisure centre’s lighting used a minimal amount of power.
“After hours, the lights are kept on for safety reasons, in particular to allow access for contract cleaners,” he said.
“The centre’s internal music is on only during our normal operating hours and the outdoor music is on only when the outdoor pool is open.”
He said the council had received a grant for its ‘powering down’ project, which will include installation of a cogeneration system at the leisure centre to provide an alternative energy source.
“Since 2008, when the Sunshine outdoor pool first opened, there has been a total of two complaints about the issue of lighting at the centre.”
