Time for action....North West

[jasperuk]

I got this idea from the Newsnight Programme who contacted I think 75 councils in the UK for information....

I like a lot of you I am sure are bogged off with looking up at the night sky and seeing nothing but the horrible glow of the city lights, so I have decided to have a stab at getting info from my the local council, well ok I extended it to all my local North West of England councils and that’s just for a start....I will get round to the others later next week there is only 400+ of them in the UK

Basically the email is asking for info on the policies in place and anything they are going to do in the future, i also threw in a few idea which other councils around the country seem to be trying out around dimming lights, cutting out 50% of street lights between 12-5 etc....

I am sure its all a pointless exercise but at least we will have a clue who is willing to do something and who is not and you never know maybe just maybe some councils who had not even considered the option maybe will just at least take a look and see if its a possible option to save money and help out a small section of the voting public.

Cheshire

Cheshire East Council

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Halton Borough Council

Warrington Borough Council

Cumbria

Allerdale Borough Council

Copeland Borough Council

Barrow in Furness Borough Council

Carlisle City Council

Cumbria County Council

Eden District Council

South Lakeland District Council

Greater Manchester

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

Manchester City Council

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Salford City Council

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Trafford Metropolitan Borough

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Lancashire

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Blackpool Council

Burnley Borough Council

Chorley Borough Council

Fylde Borough Council

Hyndburn Borough Council

Lancashire County Council

Lancaster City Council

Pendle Borough Council

Preston City Council

Ribble Valley Borough Council

Rossendale Borough Council

South Ribble Borough Council

West Lancashire Borough Council

Wyre Borough Council

Merseyside

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Liverpool City Council

Sefton Council

St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

I will try and keep you all informed in this thread if I get anything back that is useful so far in 2 days only automated and half arsed reply from everyone except Allerdale, Cumbria, South Lakeland, Mancherster City, Oldham, Salford, Tameside, Blackpool, Chorley, Lancashire, Pendle, Knowsley and Wirrel Metro

[banner001]

having lived in the middle of manchester city centre for the last 5 years the worst light polluters are not the streetlights, but the mountains of offices where a simple movement sensor fitted to the lights would ensure that if no-one is there the lights go off. also even if the lights are off you can still see the computers turned on...with no-one sat there for the entire night. the amount of money companies (and especially if they are council/local government buildings) could save must be worth the investment.

in cities even if the streetlights have the covers on them to make them only shine downwards, so much light gets reflected back from the buildings/streets that its barely noticible the difference.

[jasperuk]

First replay and its a personal phone call from the Head Engineer responsible for Wigan Council Lighting, a polite gentleman who informed me that wigan are the leading light (no punt intended) in the north west for keeping light pollution to a minimum, a mixture of sodium and LED lights employed across there 38,000 lights...

Having said that they have no plans now or in the future to impliment a lights out or lights dimmed policy as far as he is aware, LED (WRTL Stella) lights are put in place as new/replacement for broken lights or when a complaint about the current lights are made.

Stela - Indal WRTL Exterior Lighting

[nightvision]

It's our money they are wasting.

I just hope no bright spark proposes broadband white LED lighting, that will be the end of Astronomy in all urban areas.

[jasperuk]

Reply from bury council received today...

Dear Gavin,

Please find, below, answers to your questions:-

1a) Do you have any plans in place to tackle the effect of light pollution / wasted energy (carbon footprint), which you are currently implementing in your area today?

For a number of years now, the lanterns used are of a curved glass design. This is a compromise between full cut off and the ordinary bowl. We looked at using full cut off, but this dramatically reduced the column spacing on most roads, resulting in additional columns.

The lantern currently used is the WRTL Arc. Details of this lantern can be found at:-

http://www.wrtl.co.uk/application-areas/road-and-highways/direct-lighting/arc

We have also changed our standard illuminated traffic bollard to a type know as RSRB (Retroreflective Self Righting Bollards). Not only do these save costly cabling to islands, they also use no electricity.

Details can be found at:-

Signature Ltd

I do, however, expect that the reduction of light pollution will be made more difficult due to the increased use of white light sources. This is regularly requested by residents and also directed towards by the British Standard.

1b) If you are not at this time actively attempting to reduce light pollution but have any future plans to do so that you intent to implement in the near future can you tell me what these are and when you intend to start ?

Unfortunately, continuing year on year budget restrictions affect the amount of improvement that can be made.

We will continue to use the above mentioned equipment and also currently have a small tele-management system in place which can fully control the lighting.

This is being used to work out the best way of “trimming and dimming” the lighting, with the least effect to the residents.

Once a profile has been determined, it will eventually be rolled out across the Borough.

It is anticipated that fully managed lighting can save around 30 to 40% energy.

1c) If you have no plans in place now or the future would you consider any of the following and if not why :

• Reduction of individual light intensity per streetlight unit by half (if possible based on designs and age of lighting) over the time period 12am-5am on selected or all available street lighting
  

• Already being trialed, see 1b)
  

• The switching off of a reasonable percentage of streetlight up to 50% of your total streetlight you are responsible for again between 12am-5am.
  

• Consideration has already been given to turning lights fully off in residential and well used areas, and has been rejected. A recent death in a southern Council was attributed to lighting being turned off. This does, however, depend on where the lighting is, and some consideration is being given to turning lights off in back streets, cycle paths, etc.
  

• The switching off of all streetlight you are responsible for again between 12am-5am.
  

• Please see answer above
  

2) How many street lights (approximately) are you responsible for lighting/maintaining and approx how much per day/year these street lights cost to run?

According to the current database there are 18,865 street lights, 525 non solar bollards, and 1330 illuminated traffic signs.

The energy bill for 2010-2011 (still waiting for March 2011) is around £765,000

3) How many of the street lights you are responsible for (again approximately) are sodium lights and how many have been replaced with LED or better lighting?

Approximately 81% of the lighting is SOX. However, there is an assumption that LED or other light sources are better, and this is actually debatable.

4) How many lights are of a design that required and have had a shield fitted to direct light downwards?

Not quite sure I understand the question here. All lighting is installed as per manufacturers instruction and is fitted with all supplied parts. Apart from Post top style lanterns, which were designed to throw light in all directions, all lights have a reflector that directs light downwards.

The database does not contain specific fields that would allow any such breakdown.

I hope the above information helps.

Kind regards,

Philip Hewitt

Highway Works Management

Highway Network Services

Planning, Engineering and Transportation Services Division

Department of Environment and Development Services

*p.m.hewitt@bury.gov.uk

(0161-253-5824

&0161-763-6485

[Hypernova]

Hopefully the response from my local council (Cheshire East) will be more positive than the one received from Bury.

[jasperuk]

Blackburn with Darwin Borough Council

Quick answers are ~ we are doing some, we would like to do lots, we have no budget.

I will send you more details but it will be next week. Following receipt please feel free to give me a call anytime.

Regards

Ian

[Spikey]

A very interesting thread. I wouldn't mind seeing the response from Cheshire East as well.

Couild you post it up when (if) you get it please ?

[jasperuk]

Unfortunatly i sent out the emails just before the bank holiday and it quite often takes upto 20 days to get a response but i promise to post all responses as soon as i get them....

[jasperuk]

Another response this time from warrington borough council : If you are in the area this is for you

Mr Billington

Thank you for the email below, please find answers to the relevant questions.

1a) Warrington BC has been actively committed in reducing its greenhouse gases since 2006 and aims to have a reduction of 40% of 2009/10 by the 1st April 2015.

Street lighting accounts for 17% of WBC overall emissions and to help with the reduction we have implemented the following.

1- Sign deillumination where possible

2- Sign lantern replacements to LED

3- Illuminated bollard replacements to LED solar bollards, where required, and non illuminated bollards

4- LED lantern trials

5- All new lantern installations use Electronic control gear.

6- Various trials are ongoing utilising different dimming regimes i.e., running at 75% or 50% output between midnight and 5 am in certain areas.

7- All new designs/installations to utilise the latest energy saving / future proof LED or Cosmo lantern technology with a dimming facility.

8- Switching off lights in certain locations, e.g Park areas, industrial parks between midnight and 5am

9- Trials of remote monitoring systems.

1b) See 1a

1c) See 1a

2) WBC has approximately 26500 Street lights, 500 illuminated bollards and 2500 illuminated traffic signs.

The cost to run these will vary per unit depending on lamp type, control gear, photocell etc. but an estimated cost is around £40 per unit per year.

This cost also takes into account electrical testing every 6 years and bulk lamp change and clean.

Day to day repairs will be an extra cost.

3) We have approximately 7500 low pressure sodium(SOX) lamps, 1700 36w/55w PL (compact fluorescent) and the majority being high pressure sodium (Son-t)

We are currently replacing our lanterns that have Mercury lamps(MBFU) with 36w PL lanterns.

Trials have started with LED lanterns and we have also replaced a number of lanterns fitted with Cosmo Lamps(Compact high intensity discharge).

4) All new installations use the latest reflectors and lanterns designed to aim light on to the desired area limiting any light spill.

There are occasions where people perceive the new light to be brighter due to the colour output and when requested a baffle will be fitted if available for the lantern.

Older lantern designs, like the globe style, will produce light 360 degrees. Theses do not have any after market baffles that can be fitted and would require lantern changes, due to the cost of this each request would have to be assessed accordingly.

I trust this information is of assistance, however if you require anything further please contact me on the number below.

Regards

Ste

Stephen Wright

Street Lighting Engineer

Warrington Borough Council, Hawthorne Avenue, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4AL

Tel: 01925 442697

Mobile 07740 075776

Fax: 01925 443079

Email: szwright@warrington.gov.uk

Web: www.warrington.gov.uk

[Zakalwe]

I got this idea from the Newsnight Programme who contacted I think 75 councils in the UK for information....

I like a lot of you I am sure are bogged off with looking up at the night sky and seeing nothing but the horrible glow of the city lights, so I have decided to have a stab at getting info from my the local council, well ok I extended it to all my local North West of England councils and that’s just for a start....I will get round to the others later next week there is only 400+ of them in the UK

Basically the email is asking for info on the policies in place and anything they are going to do in the future, i also threw in a few idea which other councils around the country seem to be trying out around dimming lights, cutting out 50% of street lights between 12-5 etc....

I am sure its all a pointless exercise but at least we will have a clue who is willing to do something and who is not and you never know maybe just maybe some councils who had not even considered the option maybe will just at least take a look and see if its a possible option to save money and help out a small section of the voting public.

I'm very interested in this, and thank you for taking the time to do it.

I live in Lancaster and Morecambe's council area, and am keen to hear of any response.

I wonder would it also be worth enquiring to the EPA as well? I live near a medium sized industrial estate, and many of the businesses seem to have erected huge floodlights in the last couple of months. The white skyglow has become horrendous, and on nights where there is a hint of moisture in the air the glow reaches about half-way to the zenith.

[jasperuk]

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Dear Mr Billington,

Thank you for your email enquiry regarding street lighting.

This authority, in partnership with the Carbon Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 30% over the next five years, several projects have been implemented and many more are included within the programme to ensure our targets are met. Street lighting accounts for approximately 18% of the councils total carbon footprint and forms part of the carbon management plan, working towards a sustainable future.

A large majority of 50,000 (approximately)light units within the Borough are specifically designed to direct light downwards and light the adopted highway to the current standards, we use state of the art equipment such as remote monitoring systems, dimming and a wide range of energy saving products to help reduce our energy consumption and save maintenance costs. We continually monitor the open market and actively contribute to new ideas and techniques in a constant effort to improve our lighting stock and reduce carbon.

The average annual running cost per lamp is around £40 this covers energy and maintenance charges. 90% of our lights are sodium (high pressure or low pressure) the remaining 10% is a mixture of fluorescent, compact fluorescent, metal halide, cosmopolis and just recently a very small number of LED units that are on trial.

However, If you have a specific problem with light pollution or lights burning 24 hours a day near your property, please supply your address and the location of the light units in question and I will try and resolve the issue.

I trust this information is sufficient for your needs.

Kind regards.

Ian Jones

Principal Lighting and Traffic Signal Control Engineer

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Highways & Transportation Service

Backford Hall

Chester

CH1 6EA

[banner001]

just arived today:-

"Dear Dr Duncan

Your email regarding light pollution and energy usage has been forwarded onto me – apologies for the late reply, we are just catching up after the Easter break.

In reference to your enquiry: ‘I was wondering if the council are considering introducing any iniatives such as installing movement sensors on office lights so they turn off if no-one is in, similar sensors on unused computers to put them into standby, or turn of the monitors. In otherwords green initiatives, that also have the effect of reducing the substantial light pollution that cities cause, as well as saving money in the long-term due to to reduced energy consumption’ – please find my response below.

Kirklees Council has been committed to reducing its environmental impacts for many years, and has set in motion a number of initiatives which try to reduce energy consumption across the authority. The following web link takes you to an area on the internet which describes the variety of projects we co-ordinate across the Council and Kirklees district to reduce our carbon emissions and tackle climate change - http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/environment/green/green-menu.asp. These projects have arisen alongside the introduction of the mandatory Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme last year, for which Kirklees must publicly report its annual energy usage and show reductions in order to do well in the scheme’s performance league table which will be published in October.

To address the points you raised; we are upgrading our lighting systems where possible to use the movement sensors, and actively encourage users to ‘switch off’ lights and other equipment through environmental campaigns run by our Green Employee Network. Our IT department has rolled out a number of functions to enable the standby facility on computers and equipment to activate after a set period of time, and we have significantly reduced the number of printers in operation across the authority through a huge printer rationalisation project.

We are aware of the contribution the Council makes to light pollution and will continue to encourage staff to play their part in reducing our impact. We are also heavily involved in an Innovation and Efficiency programme to reduce Council costs, and energy use is a priority for this in light of the rising prices. In addition, we have a huge programme of work based on physical pollution – with air quality being included in the Council’s performance management.

I hope I have responded with the right information, but please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.

Thanks and regards."

...so basically, thats a no

[Multi-Coated]

Great work , you've obviously put a lot of effort in to this for the benefit of all .

[jasperuk]

I am going to give all the councils at least 20 days to respond and then i will hit them with follow up emails to jog them along a bit, I also intend to contact council (Nationally) that have definatly been active when it comes to trials on new light and ask them for there results. I will colate all the good data and put it into emails/packs and send them to all the councils that have not actually done anything so far or claimed they dont have the money etc...

The dificulty is i am only doing this part time so if i do get a response from your council and post it on here please feel free to follow up the inital contact response with emails of your own.

I was hopeing to move swiftly onto the north east council list next but the speed the north west councils are moving at i am not sure if i will be able to move on at all....

[jasperuk]

Reply from : Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Gavin

Thank you for your contacting us on 26th April 2011 about Street Lighting.

I have looked into this for you and have included the below responses for your perusal.

Q1a) Do you have any plans in place to tackle the effect of light pollution / wasted energy (carbon footprint), which you are currently implementing in your area today?

1a) Response

The Authority is to undertake a Borough Wide Street Lighting and Traffic Sign replacement programme from August 2011, which is over a 4 year period and will see the reduction in energy from the existing installations. This will be achieved through more efficient lighting components, a variable lighting system with the ability to reduce lighting output and a remote monitoring system which will assist with the monitoring of the lights and assist with maintenance activities. All traffic routes will be flat glass to reduce the effects of ‘sky glow’ and all residential areas will be supplied with very shallow curved glass luminaires.

Q1b) If you are not at this time actively attempting to reduce light pollution but have any future plans to do so that you intent to implement in the near future can you tell me what these are and when you intend to start ?

1b) Response

See 1a for response.

Q1c) If you have no plans in place now or the future would you consider any of the following and if not why :

Point 1 - Reduction of individual light intensity per streetlight unit by half (if possible based on designs and age of lighting) over the time period 12am-5am on selected or all available street lighting

Point 1 - Response

All the new street lighting will include for variable lighting apparatus where we have the ability to reduce the light output by a set amount which can be determined by the Authorities new Variable Lighting Policy

Point 2 - The switching off of a reasonable percentage of streetlight up to 50% of your total streetlight you are responsible for again between 12am-5am.

Point 2 – Response

The authority is not considering switching off lighting units as we will have the ability to reduce light output through the variable lighting system. This system does though have the ability to switch off lighting if so required.

Point 3 - The switching off of all streetlight you are responsible for again between 12am-5am.

Point 3 – Response

The authority is not considering switching off lighting units as we will have the ability to reduce light output through the variable lighting system. This system does though have the ability to switch off lighting if so required.

Q2) How many street lights (approximately) are you responsible for lighting/maintaining and approx how much per day/year these street lights cost to run?

Q2) Response

Approximately 18,500 street lights and 2,000 traffic signs and bollards. These consume approximately 11,250,000 kWh per year. This will reduce with the implementation of the new project.

Q3) How many of the street lights you are responsible for (again approximately) are sodium lights and how many have been replaced with LED or better lighting?

Q3) Response

As part of the project all traffic routes will be upgraded to High Pressure Sodium lights from Low Pressure Sodium lights with flat glass luminaires. All residential areas will be supplied with cosmopolis ‘white light’ solutions. We will also undertake LED trails as part of the project.

Q4) How many lights are of a design that required and have had a shield fitted to direct light downwards?

Q4) Response

The new lights should reduce the use of light shields to a minimum.

I hope this has resolved the issue for you.

If you need any further information please see contact details above.

Yours sincerely

Helen Howarth

Street Lighting and Traffic Sign PFI Programme Co-ordinator

Directorate of Regeneration, Economy and Skills

[lukebl]

Thanks for this, and your excellent hard work in writing to your councils.

I will also write to my local councils using your questions, as you've put them very well. I think a difficulty arises when one combines the issues of light pollution AND carbon footprint. In the old days, reducing energy would simply be an issue of fewer lights, or turning them off. However, the new LED lights may solve the carbon footprint problem (they consume much less energy than sodium lights) but generally worsen light pollution (much brighter and with a broad, unfilterable, spectral range).

[jasperuk]

I was going to get round to your council one day honest

I was trying i hoped to get a set of questions that looked like a concerned citizen looking to save money for his council not an astro geek complaining he cant see the stars, i got the feeling one stand point sort of out weighed the other when trying to get info back.

What i do need is info from councils that already have pilot schemes running and good positive results to either putting lights out or cutting them back, mostly everyone i have come across say new lights are not much of an improvement on LP if anything make it worse so i say turn em off or at least fit a dimmer switch based on a PIR sensor on each street lamp that would be cool.

Silly suggestions aside i think putting out good positive results supplied by councils running pilots showing how much can be spent and saved has to be the next step.

[George]

Great work and a great thread.

Have you noticed the North/South England divide going on here with regards a total lights out between set times?

[Carbon Brush]

Good work and I hop e you get support and results.

My local light polluters, are otherwise known as Nottinghamshire County Council.

They are working through a programme of cost saving in loads of villages. This will comprise dimming, after midnight switch and total switch off, as apprpriate. Interestingly they have said that if a light is left off for 3 years, it will be removed.

If you look around the council's web site you can get quite a bit of info on this. This might be useful ammunition to throw at the 'Nortrh West' polluters.

Some lights (but not near me) have already started to be switched off and dimmed. I may pop out to an 'after midnight off' place soon and take 2355/0005 photos for comparison.

I also have a thread someway back on SGL about the amount of coal and CO2 produced to keep a light on. Again ammunition for you.

Good luck with the campaign.

[lukebl]

I agree that one must avoid the 'astro-geek' approach, otherwise you lose the argument. However, the problem with solely going along the 'carbon footprint' or 'cost-saving' route, is that the council can truimphantly let you know that they will gladly fit the new super-duper bright LEDs at a fraction of the cost. Cheaper AND brighter. Lucky you!

I think we need to go to the deeper issues of light pollution, such as impacts on sleep patterns and the fact that floodlit streets aren't actually safer. But it's a real shame that there's no collective public appreciation of nighttime for its own sake, and it's only us astro-geeks who appreciate it.

[KE400]

What a great thread this is, well done Sir.

If your next attempt is targetting the councils of the North East I wish you luck. I have attempted to contact my local council (Hartlepool) about the LP problems I'm having with not even a response as yet. Maybe with your approach they may and hopefully do at least give some kind of response.

Keep up the great work...........

[jasperuk]

And another response is in ..... Sefton

Hi in response to your e-mailed request for information on street lighting I will answer briefly in the order you ask.

Sefton has for a number of years tackled the problem of light pollution by the use of better designed luminaires. On street lighting that means the use of semi-cut off or full cut-off lanterns. Floodlight installations we insist on flat glass asymmetric luminaire which are used to overcome lighting glare. We also keep abreast of any new advances in luminaire technology that may further improve the pollution problem.

With regard to energy management we are moving towards again modern luminaires but more importantly light sources. White light sources mean we can design to a lower level meaning fewer columns required. Also luminaires using electronic control gear with a greatly improved power factor means we use less power.

We are experimenting at present with dimming processes in an attempt to reduce energy consumption. The dimming is carried out between midnight and 06:00. We have to tread carefully has this reduction could cause an increase in crime, anti social behaviour and accidents. For those reasons we would not consider a complete switch off.

We have replaced 9 (all in one street) conventional luminaires with LED luminaires again largely on an experimental basis, for this is relatively untried technology within street lighting and are very expensive units to purchase.

We have over 30000 units of one type or another and the total energy bill for all on street furniture last year was £1.143 million.

Hope this is of some use.

Regards,

David Mulvaney

Lighting Engineer

Capita Symonds

3rd Floor, Alaska House, North Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic Park, Bootle, Merseyside. L30 4AB

Tel: 0151 524 6579

Mobile: 07989421993

Fax: 0151 524 6502

Email: dave.mulvaney@capita.co.uk

www.capitasymonds.co.uk

[jasperuk]

Latest response from Rochdale City Council

Dear Mr. Billington

Further to your Freedom of Information Request which we received on 26th April 2011, Rochdale Council and the Impact Partnership are happy to provide you with the response below:

1a) Do you have any plans in place to tackle the effect of light pollution / wasted energy (carbon footprint), which you are currently

implementing in your area today?

We have put in place a number of measures to reduce light pollution and energy used. These measures are for new equipment installed and include; a change from 70lux to 55lux for when the lights switch on, the use of more energy efficient electronic control gear, the use of more energy efficient light sources (such as Philips Cosmopolis lamps) for new residential relighting schemes, where it is permitted - the use of non-illuminated traffic bollards (reflective) and the use of modern lantern optics for reduced light pollution.

1b) If you are not at this time actively attempting to reduce light pollution but have any future plans to do so that you intent to

implement in the near future can you tell me what these are and when you intend to start ?

We have recently signed a PFI project which will start in July this year. The project will replace approximately 80% of our lighting stock in the first 5 years. The new lighting will utilise the latest energy efficient light sources and energy efficient control gear. The lighting will be designed to provide the optimum lighting solution whilst minimising energy use. The light will also be used in a smarter way with revised switch on/off times and variable lighting levels (ie dimming).

1c) If you have no plans in place now or the future would you consider any of the following and if not why :

* Reduction of individual light intensity per streetlight unit by half (if possible based on designs and age of lighting) over the time

period 12am-5am on selected or all available street lighting

* The switching off of a reasonable percentage of streetlight up to 50% of your total streetlight you are responsible for again between

12am-5am.

* The switching off of all streetlight you are responsible for again between 12am-5am.

As mentioned above we will be reducing lighting levels after midnight but we will not be switching them off completely due to the adverse effect on crime, fear of crime and traffic accidents.

2) How many street lights (approximately) are you responsible for lighting/maintaining and approx how much per day/year these street

lights cost to run?

We have approximately 28,000 street lights which cost approximately £35 each per year for energy

3) How many of the street lights you are responsible for (again approximately) are sodium lights and how many have been replaced with LED or better lighting?

Of the 28,000 nearly all of them are either low pressure or high pressure sodium with only about 500 being Cosmopolis. We have about 20 LED lights on trial. These numbers will obviously change dramatically following the first 5 years of the PFI.

4) How many lights are of a design that required and have had a shield fitted to direct light downwards?

There is a mix of lantern types installed throughout the Borough with the older types having little or no upward light control; however all these were appropriate at the time when they were installed. All new lanterns that we install now have good optical control to minimise light pollution. The PFI will continue to utilise modern optics to reduce light pollution.

We feel that we have fulfilled your Freedom of Information request. However, if you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request or wish to make a complaint or appeal against any decision we have made in response to your request you should write in the first instance to:

Information Governance Unit

Floor 6, Telegraph House

Baillie Street

Rochdale

OL16 1JA

If you have any further queries please don’t hesitate to contact us at foi@rochdale.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Stacey Bullen

Information Governance Unit

Tel: 01706 925505

Email: foi@rochdale.gov.uk

[jasperuk]

And another : Eden District Council

Dear Mr Billington

Please see the following response to your request for information:

1a) Do you have any plans in place to tackle the effect of light pollution / wasted energy (carbon footprint), which you are currently implementing in your area today?

Eden District Council is fitting green photocells (35lux) that have the light come on later and go off earlier each day.

1b) If you are not at this time actively attempting to reduce light pollution but have any future plans to do so that you intent to implement in the near future can you tell me what these are and when you intend to start ?

1c) If you have no plans in place now or the future would you consider any of the following and if not why :

• <LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3">Reduction of individual light intensity per streetlight unit by half (if possible based on designs and age of lighting) over the time period 12am-5am on selected or all available street lighting <LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3">The switching off of a reasonable percentage of streetlight up to 50% of your total streetlight you are responsible for again between 12am-5am.
  
• The switching off of all streetlight you are responsible for again between 12am-5am.
  

Eden District Council has a Corporate Plan and footway lighting is considered as an ‘M’ Category Service. This means that it is not a Corporate priority and the Council seeks to maintain the current service standard. No external investment has been made available to investigate or implement the issues outlined in your question. As can be seen from the number of lights that we are responsible for we are a small authority.

Each unit would require a time clock be fitted. This would be seen as an improvement and external funding would be required.

2) How many street lights (approximately) are you responsible for lighting/maintaining and approx how much per day/year these street lights cost to run?

We are responsible for 1643No lights with a total budget of £89,310 which equates to £54.36/light/year. We are charged a tariff at a cost per light rather than per unit of electricity used.

3) How many of the street lights you are responsible for (again approximately) are sodium lights and how many have been replaced with LED or better lighting?

All sodium lights (mainly 35sox) with the exception of one low energy light (48sox)

4) How many lights are of a design that required and have had a shield fitted to direct light downwards?

One

Julia Burrell

Democratic Services Officer

Eden District Council

tel 01768 212170

Days of work: weds and fri