Latest Information

LATEST Update - December 2024

Latest Shutter timetable

As we move into autumn and winter and the days get shorter, the natural light at the glasshouses needs to be supplemented by artificial light.  Over the last few years, the team have made efforts to reduce light escapes with the installation of automatic shutters in the roofing, intended to close when the natural light diminished and prevent significant escapes of light.  Last year they also used side screens to avoid light escaping from the walls.

Updated light schedules as of 6th  November are:-

• Blackout screens close – 10:30pm
• Lights on – 11:00pm
• Blackout screens open – 08:00am
• Lights off  - 05:00pm
• Side screens (Full) deploy from 4:15pm  (these reduce light emitted horizontally from the glasshouses)
  

REPLY TO MULTIPLE ISSUES RAISED LATE NOVEMBER

We have had the following response to multiple issues raised at the end of November and early December

"I think that there may be a general misunderstanding in the community, as to our current run times, based on some of the reports over the weekend. As you know, our lights come on at 11pm, and remain on all night and the following day until 5pm. This is because during the winter months, even when the sun is shining the plants need added light to produce the tomatoes that are requested by our customers. We are trying to replicate a summers day in the darkest period of the year.

To help ease the issue further I have altered our [side] screens again to now close at 4:15pm. This is now the full set, rather than just the side screens purely. I still would like to point out that as this does not fall into a ‘night’ period, we are going above and beyond our current planning requirements but are doing so to foster the relationship with the community.

I also have moved further to pull the blinds ‘tighter’ closed during the night period. As explained to Cllr Amoroso when she visited, we maintain a gap in the screens (less than 8%) to allow humidity which builds up from the plants with the heating and lights on. This is now at 5% (which when actually in action is closed fully, as there is second screen in front of it that bunches up to take up 5% of the space in the roof – I can provide a photo to show this in action if it would help).

Furthermore, we have contractors onsite this week, and I have asked them to ensure that any small rips or tears in our side screens are repaired (including the damage sustained this summer that I notified you about when we started lighting this winter).

The Parish council thank the La Serra team for their actions in response to the reports and continue to work with them.

La Serra have offered to host visits to the facility along with council representatives. If anyone would like to attend please contact the clerk (clerk@BaTPC.org.uk)

REPLY TO ISSUES RAISED November

To try to reduce the amount of light emitted from the glasshouse sides, the team have offered to deploy the full side screens from around 4:30pm.  This is in addition to the half screens used previously.

REPLY TO LIGHT ESCAPE REPORT of  16th October 24

We have investigated the light report that came through this week. It seems that during our clean up we have a damage corner on one of our side screens. We’ve patched it as well as we can, and have some contractors attending site in the next few days to repair it fully. 

LIGHT ESCAPES

The La Serra team remain committed to preventing or at worst, rectifying any problems of light emissions, but as the glasshouses are frequently unmanned overnight, flaws in the control system can sometimes be hard for them to detect.

For this reason they continue to welcome reports from the community if and when the systems fail to operate correctly, as this will allow faster fault tracing and resolution. If this can be done in a spirit of co-operation we should all benefit.

Over time our local residents have helped the team to identify faults in both the shutters and the control systems which have helped to reduce the impact and duration of light escapes.

They have set up a dedicated e-mail address for such reports (lights@laserra.org.uk) and the parish council will continue to make them aware of reports made through the www.BaTPC.org.uk website.

Please help them to fully resolve this issue by continuing to report instances of light escaping from the glasshouses, noting date and time.   SUBMIT A LIGHT ESCAPE REPORT