My Local Councils Light Polution Policy..

[Coco]

Ive been chasing my local council for there '' Light Pollution Policy''..

I think we should all lobby our local councils, you wont be ignored

here is the latest email...

-------------------------

Guy

Following on from our telephone conversation, I have tried to gather as much information as possible about South Ribble Borough Council's approach to light pollution.

The Council does not have a written policy on light pollution, although there is an operational policy of only using necessary lighting. In line with this, none of the Council's buildings are floodlit. At the Civic Centre (town hall) in Leyland, internal lighting is mainly motion sensored - so even when lights are switched on, if no movement is detected, they go off. Also, the Caretaker checks all lights on his/her final patrol of the buidling to ensure that none are left on. Externally, there are small wall lights which operate at a very low level of energy consumption and point downwards. These are for security purposes and work in conjunction with the CCTV system. Lights in the Civic Centre car park work on sensors and are provided for the security of staff and visitors returning to their vehicles.

Leisure centres are run by Serco on behalf of the Council - whilst I am not 100% sure, it's highly unlikely that they have a light pollution policy. It's likely that floodlit tennis courts and football pitches do have an adverse impact on light pollution, however I'm sure there is a counter argument around healthy living and provision of accessible sports facilities. Similarly, street lighting is bound to be a major contributor in built up areas - you may wish to check with Lancashire County Council on 0845 053 0011 about their policy.

The Council's Climate Change and Sustainability Group will be reviewing its Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy in 2010. I will suggest to the Chair, Councillor Peter Mullineaux, that light pollution is considered for inclusion.

The Council plays a leading role in the South Ribble Partnership - bringing together organisations such as Health, Police and Fire, as well as Progress Housing and British Aerospace. Councillor Mullineaux also chairs the Climate Change and Sustainability group within the partnership, so I will suggest that ligh pollution is discussed there too.

I hope this answers your query; if you have any further questions, or can point us in the right direction of any useful websites, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Kind regards,

Rebecca

Rebecca Heap

Policy and Performance I South Ribble Borough Council

+ Civic Centre I West Paddock I Leyland I PR25 1DH

( Tel: 01772 625276 I Mob: 0782 389 2260