|
|
        
|
LIGHT POLLUTION in Herefordshire
In January 2005 CPRE Herefordshire hosted a highly successful half day
symposium on Light Pollution. An audience of County Councillors, Parish
Councillors, Business representatives, Civic Trusts, Environmental campaigners
and consultants and CPRE members heard presentations from CPRE National
Office; the Campaign for Dark Skies, Devon County Council, Herefordshire
Council and The Monmouth Astronomical Society.
The symposium followed a CPRE Herefordshire-sponsored on-line survey,
conducted in 2004, to gather information about light pollution in the
county. The results
of the Night Blight survey are available in pdf format.
Light pollution is still an issue within Herefordshire
as well as nationally. In Herefordshire, light pollution increased by
approx. 24% between 1993 and 2000. CPRE Herefordshire was 
surprised
and concerned about this large increase, particularly as we remain one
of England’s most rural counties.
CPRE Herefordshire's on-line survey and symposium took place in the context
of a national campaign, jointly run by the Campaign for Dark Skies and
CPRE to raise awareness throughout the country about the issues surrounding
Night Blight. This national campaign coincided with the publication of
a new Report that used up-to-date NASA images allowing, for the first
time, a comparison between light pollution in 1993 and 2000. The comparison
showed a dramatic increase in night blight over a significant part of
the UK.
• Nationally there has been a 17% increase in the land area in
England experiencing severe light pollution.
• The land area in the countryside which has unimpeded views of
the night sky has shrunk by 27%
• Only 11% of England remains within the least light polluted areas.
The Campaign for Dark Skies have produced a handbook
Blinded by the Light. More information on the CfDS can be found by
clicking on the handbook link.
‘Light pollution of the night sky is an increasing intrusion into
the countryside at night, and is an issue we want all rural local authorities
to take into account in their planning and other decisions’’.
Rural White Paper, 2000
|
ACTION NEEDED TO REDUCE LIGHT POLLUTION
There are three main sources. Public lighting e.g. street lights; industrial
lighting e.g. factories; and home lighting e.g. security lights.
To make a difference it is important that we tackle all three sources
of light pollution. Campaigning at a national level has resulted in:
*Government acknowledgement of the serious nuisance
light pollution can cause; and recognition of the role of planning policy
in preventing light pollution in the future.
*The Government asking local authorities to take action
to address light pollution in Local Development documents
*The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill January
2005 including light pollution as a statutory nuisance.
CPRE Herefordshire is determined that these national
achievements should be taken on board in our county. Even before Government
recognition of the problems, some Counties were making a start at tackling
the issues. Norfolk County Council has had an Environmental Lighting Zones
policy for a number of years and Devon County Council has a proactive
policy on lighting.
Councillor Roger Phillips, Leader of the Herefordshire
Council, received the results of the "Night Blight" survey from
CPRE's Tom Oliver at CPRE Herefordshire’s 2004 AGM. CPRE
Herefordshire has called for Herefordshire Council to take a much more
active role in tackling light pollution, which it can do by careful and
sensitive scrutiny of planning applications and development proposals
to ensure that any external lighting schemes will not increase pollution.
It could also adopt a policy on public lighting schemes which would result
in low-polluting, downlights being installed wherever and whenever possible.
Experience in Devon has shown that while budget restrictions may prevent
the wholescale replacement of lighting schemes with new technology, there
are relatively inexpensive ways of reducing the polluting effect of old
lights.
We
have called for Herefordshire Council to use the planning system to protect
the countryside from inappropriate or intrusive lighting schemes,
and also to consider the lighting implications of small scale industrial
development within a rural context.
CPRE Herefordshire asked Parish Councils to appoint a ‘Dark Skies
Officer’ who can monitor light pollution locally and liaise with
local businesses and individuals to encourage and promote a local policy
of ‘consideration for dark skies’.
Parish Councils can also encourage the County Council planners to act
by making constructive comments on planning
applications which may have light pollution implications.
Individuals, whether in an urban or rural environment, can also consider
the impact of their lighting schemes on the quality of life for others.
A profusion of security lights, and those badly sited, can distract or
blind road users, light up neighbours houses and gardens and those left
on constantly are contributing unnecessarily to co2 emissions.
Learn more about CPRE Herefordshire and CPRE's work in Herefordshire
CPRE Herefordshire is a registered Charity: No: 213951. The Campaign to Protect Rural England exists to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country.