Light pollution

Light pollution is any form of artificial light that shines outside the area it needs to illuminate. Light pollution may affect the beauty of the night sky and our view of the stars, but it is not a light nuisance and the council has no powers to take action against it.

Light nuisance

Light nuisance is artificial light from premises that causes nuisance, because it interferes with a person's use of their property, such as preventing sleep. Nuisance is not the same as annoyance e.g. security lighting briefly triggered by animals may be irritating to light sleeping people with thin curtains, but will rarely, if ever, be harmful.

The law mostly relates to light nuisance from domestic premises. It does not apply to artificial light from railway, public service and goods vehicles operating centres.

There is also a statutory defence of "best practicable means" which relates to:

• artificial light emitted from industrial, trade or business premises
• artificial light emitted by lights used for the purpose only of illuminating an outdoor relevant sports facility.

Planning legislation also covers the lighting of many of these facilities.

What can I do about light nuisance?

Try to approach your neighbour for a chat about the problem. Try to keep things light-hearted and friendly and explain how the light is affecting you. Politely suggest possible solutions to the problem such as:

• re-angle or partially shade the light
• fit a passive infra red sensor so that the light is not on all the time
• use a lower power bulb

You may find it difficult to speak to your neighbour, but a direct approach has the best chance of success. Sometimes your neighbours will be unaware they are causing a problem. Most will be glad to do what they can, so it might help if you can show the neighbour the effect of the light from "your side of the fence".

How to avoid causing light nuisance

• Think about the position of the light. Is it shining directly at a neighbour's bedroom window?
• Use a low Watt, low energy bulb. Some security floodlights are 500W whereas 150W is adequate for most situations; this will also help reduce your running costs.
• Reduce the amount of time a light is on by fitting a timer, and if a sensor is fitted, think about the area covered by the sensor, so that it does not cause the light to come on more often than is needed.
• Use a shield or hood so that the light is directed to the area it is intended for.
• Does the area need a light? Sometimes lights can create shadows for criminals to work in.

Advice on Security Light Installation

Advice and recommended installation methods to minimise obtrusive security lighting can be found in the following guidance notes from The Institution of Lighting Engineers.  These are available to download from the right of the page.

• Domestic Security Lighting
• Guidance Notes for the Reduction of Obtrusive Light

How do I complain to the Council?

Please contact us to make a complaint. Your case will be allocated to an officer who will contact the light owners to ask them to address the problem, at the same time we will send you diary sheets. If the problem is not resolved with the letter, you will need to either call us or return your completed diary sheets so a visit can be arranged to assess the light levels. The environmental protection team can be contacted using the details to the right of this page.