Floodlights - advice please

Wagtail

Wagtail

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We are thinking of installing floodlights on our arena. I never need to use them myself but our longest serving livery has just moved jobs and it will mean that she needs to ride in the evenings. Other liveries may wish to occasionally also. My questions are:

How many would we need for a 60 x 30 arena and how tall/wattage etc?

Has anyone tried the very cheap to run LED lights? Are they any good?

Any ideas on cost?

Do we need planning permission if they cannot be seen from the road and we have no neighbours within a mile? My guess is that we probably still do.

Thank you. :)
 
Ditto above, you might get away with 6 depending on how powerful the lights are and their height/range - but equally for a 60 metre you might be better with 8 (4 down each long side) or even 10, giving you the option of having one at A & C. It does depend what the arena is going to be used in the dark for though - I teach all winter in a 20 x 40 with 5 or 6 lights (depending on whether the problem one is behaving!) and it does limit some of the jumping I'm willing to do, as I won't build fences in areas of the arena that are less well lit, or where the jump is throwing multiple shadows due to the lighting.

Re Planning permission I think you had better check with your local authority, a general enquiry re what the requirements would be for installing lighting for short term use on winter evenings, but I guess it also depends on the arena location - ours is surround by hedge and woodland that is taller than the lights anyway.

You don't need to go particularly tall tbh, ours are reachable with a standard length ladder is required. The more you have, the lower you can be I think and the better lighting you'll have.

Eta - I also went to ride a horse at a yard once where the lights were on the uprights of the fencing, so at knee level rather than on poles. I should imagine that wouldn't need any PP, and it did give good light! Was like strip lights every 2nd or 3rd post. Just another option anyway
 
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much-jittering said:
Ditto above, you might get away with 6 depending on how powerful the lights are and their height/range - but equally for a 60 metre you might be better with 8 (4 down each long side) or even 10, giving you the option of having one at A & C. It does depend what the arena is going to be used in the dark for though - I teach all winter in a 20 x 40 with 5 or 6 lights (depending on whether the problem one is behaving!) and it does limit some of the jumping I'm willing to do, as I won't build fences in areas of the arena that are less well lit, or where the jump is throwing multiple shadows due to the lighting.

Re Planning permission I think you had better check with your local authority, a general enquiry re what the requirements would be for installing lighting for short term use on winter evenings, but I guess it also depends on the arena location - ours is surround by hedge and woodland that is taller than the lights anyway.

You don't need to go particularly tall tbh, ours are reachable with a standard length ladder is required. The more you have, the lower you can be I think and the better lighting you'll have.

Eta - I also went to ride a horse at a yard once where the lights were on the uprights of the fencing, so at knee level rather than on poles. I should imagine that wouldn't need any PP, and it did give good light! Was like strip lights every 2nd or 3rd post. Just another option anyway
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Thank you! I didn't think about the lower they were the better the lighting. I guess they are closer to the surface. It may not cost much more to put more lower ones in than fewer higher ones in due to the posts they are on. :)
 
I've not used LED floodlights, but it sounds like a bloody good idea to me! Much less maintainance required, with LEDs you're not going to suddenly get whole cornersworth of lighting go out unless there's a problem with the wiring.
 
Yes you need planning permission. Friend who opened a livery yard had more trouble getting permission for floodlights than any other single aspect of her yard!!
 
Hi

I have a 60 x 30.

I installed (telegraph poles) 6 x 500watt halogens. They are very high and cast no shadows to speak of. Some people use sodiums but horses can't actually see in them apparently. My arena is very well lit by these and I also get spillage into my first field which is an added bonus when trying to get in youngsters in the pitch black. Only maintenance has been shifting them when blown out of position. At 15000 hours I'm not anticipating having to change them. TBH I have used them much less than I thought as menage freezes in the winter.

I don't think I would have got planning permission for them but they've been up for 5 years now so hoping I'm safe.
 
When I was thinking of applying for planning for a school, I was told I wouldn't get it if lighting was included. I didn't apply in the end as the money ran out.

However, I did build a round pen right by the barn, and have a site light attached to the back of the barn, which kind of works ok, although is pretty thirsty :p

We are in a very secluded area - only about 3 properties would have been able to see the lights, one 1/2 mile away with trees between us, and the others over a mile away on the other side of the valley. Think it may depend on your council though, it varies from area to area .

Good luck :)
 
Definitely planning permission and i dont know the ins and outs but I did hear(from someone who got tennis court lighting rejected) that it can affect wildlife ie owls etc their flight paths etc etc and I think this is why a lot get turned down?
 
Just spotted the LED lights on ebay are the equivalent of 150 watt hallogen so not bright enough probably. Is there no one here that has used them?
 
I have a 40 x 20 manege and 3 x 500 watt halogen floodlights. We mounted ours on 4.5 m posts that we double screwed through a 5" post - to give more height and enable a pivot for bulb changing an dthe need has arisen for 1 light in the 7 years they have been up. That's enough light to ride in but for perfection we would need a 4th light. I agree that 6 would be good for a 60 x 30 manege.
You do need planning permission.
 
if the lights are permenant then you need permisson, you might get around if you have temp movable lights. also another dodgy loop hole is security lights, so if your school backs onto a barn, then motion sensor lights can get through the planning. off course they would need to be on for 30min once activated. if you have neighbours make sure you angle down so not to disturb them ( makes them complain less) and think about light polution mention you are going to use the ones which do not leak light up wards. another thing to consider is to put them on a timer and say in your application that you will only use them for x hrs a year.
 
hollyandivy123 said:
if the lights are permenant then you need permisson, you might get around if you have temp movable lights. also another dodgy loop hole is security lights, so if your school backs onto a barn, then motion sensor lights can get through the planning. off course they would need to be on for 30min once activated. if you have neighbours make sure you angle down so not to disturb them ( makes them complain less) and think about light polution mention you are going to use the ones which do not leak light up wards. another thing to consider is to put them on a timer and say in your application that you will only use them for x hrs a year.
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Excellent advice. Thank you!
 
As people have said, you need permission for permanent lights. Security lights are a bit of a loophole but you could still fall foul of the planning team & that's a real problem.

Temporary lights do not need permission. At a yard I was at I bought a couple of double site lights & a long extension lead & put the lights on a couple of corners of the arena. It wasn't bright enough to jump but was plenty light enough to school our horses. The school was 20 x 40.

These were the lights I used:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/telescopic-tripod-500w-site-light/37593
 
Just heard from planning that they are unlikely to approve my floodlights. Now I am not sure whether to risk the fee in applying. :(
 
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