Act casts a shadow over light pollution obligations

06 December 2006
 
Amendments to the Environment Act mean authorities are now duty-bound to retrospectively look at how badly-placed lights affect people’s quality of life, it was claimed this week.
Martin Taylor, law lecturer at De Montfort University, told the 10th Street Lighting and the Energy Crisis event held in Birmingham this week.
Taylor, who is also legal adviser to the Campaign for Dark Skies, a body attempting to reduce light pollution, said the days when a local authority could dismiss complaints over light pollution were over.
This is because it is now seen as a statutory nuisance, such as noise, and requires work to lessen or reduce the nuisance or stop it completely.
Taylor said there was a nuisance and danger caused by security lighting, both commercial and domestic, which was angled outwards rather than fully downward.
The resulting glare of the filament caused either nuisance by shining into windows or, more seriously, the risk of an accident by distracting motorists.
When asked about whether the amendments applied retrospectively, Taylor replied: ‘There was a time when a complaint would be ignored unless it was accompanied by a doctors note.’
But he added that light pollution could be seen as a form of ‘trespass’ and urged engineers to consider the issue.
Peter Kane of the metropolitan police also warned against the use of security lights to discourage crime on troubled estates or other hotspots.

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