I have just emailed the council about a street light....

[walterp]

I asked them to mask out the offending light so it doesnt shine in my garden.

Do you think they will do anything about it?

I am moaning already about light pollution and I haven't even got my scope yet. :mrgreen:

(click to enlarge)

[ringz]

Hi walterp,

I'm in the same boat as you, the council decimated the hedges in the Old People Home at the end of my garden and I now have 2 luminaires directly pumping out light all over my garden.

I'm going to visit the council house tomorrow to lay it on thick, how the excessive light is stopping me from sleeping and how I can't get blackout curtains because I need the daylight to wake me.

I hope I can get something done because it's almost a total waste of time trying to observe in my garden.

Regards,

Martyn.

[beamish]

If the councils are as narrow minded and stubborn as Leeds then can I suggest an air-rifle !

[Doc]

I've e-mailed mine twice now and I've yet to have a reply.

[Dave]

You could try contacting your local Campain for Dark Skies Rep.

http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/

I have been in contact with mine for over a year now and we have been trying to sort out two street lights overlooking my garden. However dealing with the local council seems to be a long draw out process, with different responsibilities for different contractors between parish and town council for light maintenance. No-one seems to take any responsibility, or care... We struggle on then.

[Starflyer]

I take it you've seen the advice here?

If you're local astro society is planning any events for the IYA, then suggest to them that they contact their local MPs and ask them to come along to the events. The more we can increase awareness of the problem with the local council decision makers the better chance we have of improving our skies.

Ian

[Albireo380]

I have one sodium vapour lamp at the front of my house and one at the side (it shines directly over my 6foot wall onto the back garden. I e-mailed Glasgow City Council in early November asking that they put back plates on theese street lights or otherwise mask them, as they were keeping me awake and bathing my back garden in orange light.

I got no reply, so I e-mailed again in mid December. I got a letter back a few days ago:

"With regard to your request for masking tape to be applied to the lighting units adjacent to your property. unfortunately no masking of the units in ***** Ave is possible. This would adversely affect the lighting levels on the road which cannot be compromised. The light unit on ********* may benefit from the application of light masking tale to the visor to reduce the backward light component further and is being arranged".

So ... some progress, but I would take issue with the first statement - why can the tape be applied to one light and not the other - they are identical and I want horizontal/upward light, not downward light masked.

It seems that the Council have little understanding, or little interest - typical of Glasgow City Council.

Glumly,

Tom

[George]

I'd just go out at the dead of night with some black spray paint and do it yourself, why involve the council they are obviously far to busy to deal with your request

And do you think they would notice your DIY efforts?.......I doubt it.

[walterp]

Thanks for the replies.

I gave them my address so if the light was tampered with they wouldn't have very far to look.

I will try the legal route first but if that fails then I will be shimmying up the lamp post with a can of black spray paint.

Then again, I aint built for shimmying, so hope the council do something.

I can be quite annoying when something get's my goat so the council will have a few phone calls and letters to deal with before I am through.

As you can see from the picture, the back of the light serves no purpose other than light up my garden over the garage roof.

Allan.

[burningbarricade]

Hey walterp - I hope you have some joy. When I read your first post I thought you've got no mission getting a local council to do anything about it, but having read the advice posted by starflyer - I didn't know they could fit shields - sounds like you might have a chance. If it costs them the time of a worker + say £10 to fit a shield then you probably only need to give them the prospect of wasting a few hours of their time responding to phone calls and emails to make it worth their while to get someone out there to sort it.

I pitty your neighbours too. Big old light right outside their window.

[ash]

I must be lucky our council just before xmas changed all the orange ones for white ones and these point staight down and light the road instead of everywhere else well done St Helens council... :hello1:

Now for next doors security light... :scratch:

Andy

[walterp]

RESULT......

I have just received this reply to the email I sent.

Thank you for your email regarding the above mentioned matter.

I appreciate the light pollution from this type of lantern will affect

your ability to observe the night sky.As this lighting unit is in a poor

condition I am arranging to change the lantern for a modern "cut off"

lantern which controls the lighting by focusing the light downwards. I

am confident that this will resolve the issue,however if there is still

a difficulty please do not hesitate to let me know.

Yours Sincerely A.Smith for Highway Networks

So it seems a polite request is the way to go, how long they will take to change the light is another question. I will phone them every week until it is done.

Allan.

[Wedge]

That's brilliant! What a result! :hello1:

[adamsp123]

excellent result if they do what they say.

Most of the street lights are still turned off in Powys mid Wales, although I heard a rumor they are going to fit timers to all lights costing a huge amount of money, so long as they are set for 6pm thats ok.

[tmarkuk]

Hi all,

I'm also working / battling with Hampshire County Council over a light covering my back garden. It had been broken for over a year and then they kindly went and fixed it. I could give them a list of things that I would actually like fixing, but no, they pick the one thing I'm happy is broken!

Some progress though as this morning I received a letter kindly letting me know that they can fit a shield, provided I pay them £91.92 for it. This seems a bit steep, has anyone else been charged for this service and at what cost? I'll need some comparisons in order to argue my side.

My biggest draw back is that the light has been there longer than I've been in the house, makes it a little harder to make my case.

[walterp]

This sight greeted me when I got home.

Good Ole' Council. The light they put up is a zillion times better.

(click to enlarge)

[Nigel]

ok thats the b4 pic weres the after :hello1: pref at night

[Leegsi]

Nice to see a good outcome

[wobbly]

If the councils are as narrow minded and stubborn as Leeds then can I suggest an air-rifle !

In Leeds too here, 100 yards down the road the original gas street lamps are still in place (last working in UK I think?) shame we have an electric one directly outside our south facing front garden :crybaby: