Reduce the luminosity and number of street lights and security lighting

Within the last ten years there has been an increase in the number of street lights erected throughout the U.K. For every one of  the  older  style sodium street light that  are   removed, three new style halogen  street lights are erected in its place.

There are a number of issues that this raises….

1. The luminosity of the new style halogen  lighting is far greater than the  sodium  style lighting. This creates nuisance on many levels . Normal residential streets have these halogen  lights on all night  the increased luminosity created by the extra number of lamp posts erected and the lumens they expend is at  a  totally unacceptable level to allow the occupants of the houses to sleep comfortably.

2. There have  not been any studies  carried out of the effects that  the  increase in luminosity has on humans,  animals,birds and insects.

3.  There has been no evidence that  the increase in street lighting has reduced the number of crimes i.e. muggings, burglary  to warrant the propensity of  street lighting and security lighting installed across the U.K . The installation of security lighting on residential dwellings are covered by planning regulations yet many domestic and commercial properties have inappropriate and excessive lighting installed that  cause nuisance and grievance to the surrounding neighbourhood.

4. The reasons given by many Local Authorities for the increase in Highways and Byeways and street lighting   is  that they are  carrying out  Government  Laws and European Directives and that the extra lighting helps to reduce crime and road accidents Both of these are lame excuses for  the excessive wastage of public money in  the production of electricity in the first place to be left burning all night at full luminosity.

5. The main reason that was put forward for changing over and   using  lower energy halogen  lighting was to reduce costs. This was to be achieved by the ability to alter the luminosity of the street  lighting to suit the environmental application . This cannot be happening if the number of street lights in cities, towns, villages , hamlets , highways and byeways has increased threefold exponentially and  all street lighting is set at full luminosity across the U.K.

6. There should be a reduction in the number of street lights erected on highways and byeways by reverting back to the previous permitted distances between lampposts. Lighting in residential areas should be set at a more acceptable lumen level that does not create discomfort and nuisance to the occupants of the dwellings. The act of reducing  commercial and domestic electric usage  and street lighting   that pollute our night sky  globally would have a significant effect on the reduction of carbon dioxide production created by the excessive production of electricity .

Why is this idea important?