Memorandum from Mr Nigel Pollard, NEP
Lighting Consultancy
1. What has been the impact of lighting on
UK astronomy?
Not being an astronomer I leave this to others
to answer. However I believe the impact of low pressure sodium
road lighting installations installed from the 1960's onwards
has certainly had a major negative effect on the appearance of
our night-time environment, and the night sky in particular.
2. Are current planning guidelines strong
enough to protect against light pollution?
Probably not, although I believe if a Planning
Authority wished to invoke, for example, the ILE Guidelines as
some appear to have done, then they could go a long way towards
it.
3. Are current planning guidelines being applied
and enforced effectively?
From my own experience, the answer is mixed.
While some planning authorities are very receptive and have indeed
published their own Guidelines, usually based on or quoting the
ILE Guidelines, many appear to have little or no interest. How
an Authority behaves seems in many cases to relate solely to the
enthusiasm and/or contact with the local "Dark Skies"
representative. I believe that as obtrusive light is not yet a
statutory nuisance, most Authorities are not too bothered until
something goes wrong and someone complains. Travelling around
I see many examples of very obtrusive and poor lighting which
apparently no one locally is too bothered with.
4. Is light measurable in such a way as to
make legally enforceable regulation controls feasible?
Yes—and the new Publication CIE 150:2003
goes into this in some detail.
5. Are further controls on the design of lighting
necessary?
I think not. Most of the existing obtrusive
light is just badly installed and/or poor lighting which is covered
within the existing publications. However, it would be useful
if luminaires were better categorised. While the present "Upward
Light Ratio" (ULR) is rather crude, it is a good start and
more pressure should be put on the Industry to publish this figure,
at an agreed designated aiming angle, for all their exterior luminaires.
4 April 2003
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