Street Lights - 3 Cheers for Plymouth City Council

[Katen]

If you, as a new or not so new Astronomer, are plagued with light from streetlights shining into your garden, try contacting your local council.

We live in Plymouth and have a treetlight directly opposite our backgarden which cast a huge light glow into the garden.

I emailed Plymouth City Council (via their website) to ask if anything could be done to help an amateur astronomer having trouble with streetlighting.

Within a week, our old style, curved top, light spreading lamp posts have been decapitated and replaced with new style lamps which send all the light downwards AND the top of the post is now at a right angle to the post further pointing the light towards the ground rather than outwards.

Our back garden is now so much darker and last night we had a brilliant time moon watching.

Thank you to Plymouth City Council for their friendly, helpful and speedy response.

Katen

[Marcrosson]

I must says that is a good service and rather surprising they would do that

[mallorcasaint]

I have just had a reply from Exeter City Council because I complained about the local church at the end of our road. It has several large sodium lamps shining on the church tower all night and all we can see in the North East is a bright orange glow. the Environmental Services department are coming round next week to assess whether it is a statutory nuisance!

[Ponoobersie]

I would have to agree....I would be sent all around the houses if I tried that and MAYBE! six months later id get a reply....

Although! I will be trying as my garden looks as though it has 5 flood lights in it at the moment, kind of frustrating

[Marcrosson]

I have a neighbour whose so called security light shines right into my garden. It's like a floodlight. Why do people need lights so bright!

I shall be putting something up to shield it.

[paul schofield]

I have to wonder if all councils would react the same way. Especially if astronomy were mentioned ??? I am quite lucky that the light to the back of my house has not worked for about 4 months, (nothing to do with me ) ha. If it gets fixed I may call and say it causes headaches as I am quite light sensitive (not) see if this would work. Anyway I wish councils would drop the amount of lights illuminated everywhere.

[Katen]

My cynical side does think getting to end of budgetary year and if money not spent the won't get it allocated for next year!

I talked about astronomy in my email - maybe the chap whose desk it landed on is an astronomer too.

It also may have helped that I did it in Stargazing Live week when light pollution was a hot topic.

But in the long run I am very grateful that it's been sorted and I wish you all luck in your quests for less light pollution.

Katen

[Pigz]

i must say that where i live we have downward LED lights which get turned off at 12am every night untill 5am so personally im sorted but i understand the great trouble this causes to others though