CONCERNING Nick Cooper's complaints (Letters, January 26), about excess lighting at Blackburn Rovers' Youth Academy at Brockhall. I live a mile or two away and we look out across the Ribble Valley in that direction.

From the well-lit Longsight Road in the bottom, villages, farmsteads and new housing developments spread out on both sides of the valley to make it look like a township at night.

In recent times, I have been puzzled by what appeared to be a huge new factory down in the valley. Even with binoculars I could not identify it, although I was pretty sure permission had not been given for such a development.

It was particularly prominent at night with lights blazing until all hours. I began to think the X-Files people should be called in.

Gradually, it dawned that it must have something to do with the Rovers set up at Brockhall. In fact, it could be at least the size of a full indoor football pitch, with lights apparently on all sides.

You would not be able to appreciate the beauty of a starry night anywhere near and it must surely transgress light-pollution legislation. I certainly would not like to live in the vicinity.

As a matter of interest, some years ago I wrote to Lancashire County Council asking why it was necessary to have lights blazing all night on main roads such as the Longsight Road. The reply was not specific, saying only that it was required by law.

GRAHAM HINDLE, Moorland Road, Langho.

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