A football club are facing enforcement action for breaching rules that ban them from playing under floodlights after hours.
AEK-BOCO play at Greenbank Road in Hanham, with one of the conditions being that there should be no illumination from April 1st-30th after 8.30pm to stop nearby residents being disturbed by light and noise.
But on Wednesday the club went over the deadline in a Toolstation League match against Wincanton Town that kicked off at 7.30pm. It is understood to have been a rearranged league fixture. Residents say the floodlights were on until 9.55pm.
South Gloucestershire Council was swift in its response to a barrage of residents’ complaints, acknowledging that it constitutes a clear breach of the condition.
We understand that a formal breach of condition notice is being issued on the club, which will have the effect of making any future breaches a criminal offence. By law these notices have a minimum 28-day compliance period, so this will not have immediate effect.
It appears that the club do not have any further home evening matches scheduled this season.
One resident told us: “This is both a breach of a strict planning condition and also AEK-BOCO’s lease and licence.”
The resident said this was the second time the club had breached the floodlighting rules, the first being on 15th September last year which was reported to the council, which owns the ground, at the time.
Both the council and the club have been approached for comment.
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