Light nuisance from new development

[Meerkat]

I used to have a really nice view from my garden, no lights for miles, now we have ended up with this.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n14/SteveandJan/IMG_1972.jpg

This block of houses belong to a housing association who have lit up the close as if it was a public car park.

Our lamps outside the front of our house are 5 lux at road level, these are 54 lux each, with twice the density of lamps. It's like living in the town centre instead of right on the edge of the countryside.

I have tried everything from talking with planning, environment, local councillor, MP, Secure by Design police officer, the developer, and the housing association.

I have also enlisted the help of the local Dark Skies guy, but all to no avail.

The light and glare from these lamps into my garden is unbelievable, it would cost them all of £137 to fit zero pollution flat glazing in lieu of the bowl type for all 4 lamps, but no one is interested.

The rest of the site is being adopted by Kent Highways and they said they would provide light shields to stop the glare, that was until they realised that this particular close was not being adopted so they could not do anything.

Oh well, I'll keep on, but don't know what other options I have.

Steve

[David Smith]

I sympathise Steve. I am in the process of trying to get the local council to improve the lighting in a park which backs on to our family home with little success so far.

I am interested to know how you managed to cost up the changes that would improve your situation?

Best of luck to you

David

[assasincz]

Sorry to hear that, mate! It seems like there is no other option than to drive to a dark spot - look at the bright (dark) side, it might all be for the best, you might get way better views than you were used to before that way.

In Czech Republic, some larger cities as autonomous units may issue a regulation on appropriate lighting (that does not reflects light above the horizon level) that can be subsequently enforced - a possibility since the enactment of light pollution in Clean Air Act in 2002. However, I do not know whether there is any such legal arrangement in the UK law. But from what you write, your local council can't do anything about it and that is a pity.

[kharga]

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 now makes light nuisance subject to the same criminal law as noise and smells. It applies to "artificial light emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance". See Light Pollution and the Law

Try writing to them and quoting the Act.

We managed to get the street light outside shielded by using this. Mind you, they did cover the wrong end first!!

[Double Kick Drum]

What is it with the obsession of bringing daylight to the night.

If I was a burglar, I would visit houses that didn't need me to bring a torch.

I have a similar problem although not as bad. My garden backs onto playing fields at the edge of a village. The school they belong to has security lighting which virtually floodlights the fields. What a waste!

The lights are just over 100m away and most of my garden is protected by trees, bushes etc. but it still impairs what would otherwise be a pretty dark site.

As the London sprawl moves ever closer, I am resigned to the fact that one day in the future i'll tell my grandchildren about stars and they'll say "stars, what are they?"

[Meerkat]

I did have the environment guy come visit and even though he said he couldn't do anything as it has to be a criminal case, he advised me to take action over Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. (He also said, unfortunately off the record, that the lights are far too bright).

So I am looking into that now, I'll also look at the 2005. I rather like the "best practical means" to light emitted from "industrial, trade or business premises". As these are owned by a housing association it's a business premises, so I assume they have got to use best practice. As they evidently haven't, (zero light pollution glazing available), I might be able to use this.

What is also annoying is that KCC changed the lamps from sodium to LED in our street a few weeks ago and a neighbour complained about the light now in his windows, (they are much brighter - yet again), 3 days later and they'd come down and put a shield on it.

Steve

[Meerkat]

I sympathise Steve. I am in the process of trying to get the local council to improve the lighting in a park which backs on to our family home with little success so far.

I am interested to know how you managed to cost up the changes that would improve your situation?

Best of luck to you

David

I emailed the supplier of the lamp units, DW Winsdor, it's their DW400 units being used and asked them if the glare/light nuisance could be reduced. Replied very quickly with all the information, plus the quote.

The cost is actually the total cost for the flat glazing less the cost for obtrusive light shields to be fitted. These should have been fitted as they are in the planning documentation, but they are not.

So they have got to do something, but I think these shields only stop the light from being projected backwards towards the new houses so will not help me at all.

I'm sure that if they had used the flat glazing option instead of the bowl to begin with it would have been cheaper, bowls must cost more than flat surely?

Steve

[iamjulian]

I don't understand that rule about only shielding backwards light. The street light opposite my house illuminates my front bedroom. If I was behind the light they would sort it out. Makes no sense. I hope you manage to get a good solution!

[Patbloke]

I recently responded to a planning application raising my concern over possible light pollution issues (it truth it probably won't be any worse than it already is) however I'm doing my bit to raise awareness.

I read an article recently stating that burglary had dropped in a village by 20% during a reduction in nighttime illumination... I urge everyone to write to their Chief Constables for an opinion then to your council to reduce streetlighting during the early hours.