Cllr Darren Johnson, Leader of the Green Party Group in the London Assembly said, "Whilst the Government has begun to recognise the issue, it has been slow to act. The use of outside lighting is largely beyond the control of the planning system, yet it can have a disturbing impact on people and wildlife. It is also destroying the quality of the night sky – turning a starry night sky into an orange murk.
If nothing is done to tackle light pollution, future generations will simply not be able to see the stars."
"Of course, lighting is needed for safety on our streets. We would like to see better lights which shine downwards where the light is needed, rather than upwards where it isn’t.
With better design, the same area can be lit to the same brightness with a less powerful bulb. The technology and design options are readily available. But to make sure it is used, the Government needs to bring outside lighting fully within the planning control system, giving local councils the chance to veto poor designs."
Light pollution is a waste of energy and also a source of carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases.
Darren Johnson concluded, "The Prime Minister recently claimed in his "Green Speech" that he wanted to see better energy conservation measures. However, his Government have failed to act to curb the ever-rising level of energy wastage from inappropriate and badly designed exterior lighting."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
A new Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) initiative, to be launched in May, will use satellite images to show the worsening problem of light pollution over the UK, as ever more badly designed exterior lighting is installed, in domestic, commercial, transport and sports related uses.