Motion on streetlighting in Babergh:
Babergh recognises that street-lighting is a significant aspect of our climate change and biodiversity action plans, and that lighting can be adapted and controlled to reduce energy use as well as the impacts on human health and wildlife – especially bats, owls and other nocturnal insect populations which are declining[1], [2]. The Council also notes that many communities and campaign groups are calling on local councils to protect dark skies.
Motion:
Babergh District Council recognises that light pollution is increasing and that it causes harm to wildlife and insects as well as being problematical for many people particularly when the light is high in intensity. Therefore the Council seeks to reduce the intensity and extent of outdoor lighting within its public realm and housing assets as well as in other lighting schemes where it has influence, to the extent practical. The Council will also include firm guidance in its Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document to protect and enhance dark skies for the benefit of wildlife as well as human health and wellbeing.
Proposer – Cllr Elisabeth Malvisi
Seconder – Cllr Leigh Jamieson
To achieve these objectives the Council will include lighting control within the Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which it has committed to preparing and will work with the planning team and also partner organisations such as Suffolk County Council, and its suppliers in order to reduce current levels of light pollution to the extent practical. The Council recognises the dichotomous role that artificial lighting plays in making people feel safe but also its negative impact on health, wellbeing and visual resources. The council will ensure that new or replacement artificial lighting whether in the form of street lighting, commercial and residential lighting or advertising signage is installed to meet the lowest possible level of intensity and visual intrusion in line with current evidence on lighting characteristics.
Notes:
· Streetlighting that uses LED lamps emits a brighter, whiter light with higher levels in the blue region of visible light (400-480 nm) than their traditional counterparts. This shift in the emitted spectral composition towards blue white light has well-known impacts on the biological rhythms and functions in both humans and animals, particularly in nocturnal insect species and bats and owls.
· Some estimates predict that 1 million species, or 40% of all insects will become extinct over the next few decades, and the negative contribution made by artificial lighting in this regard and especially in the blue white must be recognised and not dismissed.
· Illumination, especially in the short wavelength -ultraviolet and blue light- causes damage not only to human sight but also to our nocturnal friends. It causes disorientation in insects, affects their patterns of movement, their way of foraging and very importantly affects their ability to reproduce with catastrophic implications for their populations.
· By contrast long wavelength light - amber and red – has a lower impact on our nocturnal friends.
· LEDs can be engineered to emit light of any desired spectral range, their brightness can be controlled, and their usage can be limited to appropriate timeframes. Lighting can be triggered to come on for shorter periods using motion sensor technology, also they can be progressively dimmed. Lighting can be fixed at full cut-off to reduce skyglow and shielding (e.g. back baffles) can be installed to reduce light intrusion through windows. A problem of which many humans complain, and which causes disturbed sleep patterns resulting in mental health issues thus affecting our own wellbeing.
· Colour filters can be used to reduce or even remove the harmful wavelengths – true amber LED has a narrower bandwidth but is low efficacy (low lumen output per watt usage).
· Alternatives to current bright white LEDs include true-amber LED which has a narrower bandwidth but low efficacy (low lumen output per watt usage). Phosphor-converted amber (PCA) has a higher efficacy. However, such alternatives may be challenging to source in the UK but the use of warmer coloured LEDs must be sourced for our current wellbeing and our nocturnal friends survival upon whom we all depend.
[1] BBC News: Light pollution from streetlamps linked to insect loss https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58333233?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
Minutes:
Councillor Malvisi MOVED her Motion and informed Council that is was recognised that streetlighting could play an important part in the Council’s climate change and bio-diversity plans. Not only can it be controlled to reduce costs and reduce our carbon footprint but by installing the right type of light the Council can protect its nocturnal wildlife.
Currently LED lighting was being fitted and whilst these have reduced costs which was good on the one hand it had a very negative impact on another. As a society, we have moved towards a blue white light. This blue white light has a terrible effect on the behaviour of nocturnal wildlife leaving it confused and affecting reproduction. So much so that it is estimated that 40% of all insects will become extinct within the next decades. Councillor Malvisi asked that the Council approve her Motion so that a new bio- diversity supplementary planning guidance can be produced to help protect our nocturnal wildlife on whom our futures are so dependent.
Councillor Jamieson SECONDED the Motion and informed Council that a similar Motion was being put to Mid Suffolk so that both Councils could work jointly to reduce light pollution that would benefit everybody.
Councillor Hinton supported the Motion and stated that he was in favour of streetlighting being turned off as he felt it was nice to have a dark sky. He also stated that he hoped that Suffolk County Council would take account of any provisions that were made in the NPPF.
Councillor Cresswell thought it was a good idea but felt that a balance should be struck where there were areas of anti-social behaviour.
Councillor Plumb stated that his parish council had been pressurised by Suffolk County Council to install LED lighting and asked how it was intended to bring the County Council on board with this?
Councillor Busby asked if the biodiversity planning document would come back to Council?
Councillor Arthey confirmed that it would.
Councillor Lindsay addressed the concerns relating to Suffolk County Council and confirmed that the County Council were looking closely at this matter. It didn’t mean that the lights would all need to be replaced but would mean using some lower intensity lighting.
Councillor Malvisi confirmed that lighting filters could be installed if needed.
Councillor Fraser confirmed that Suffolk County was working to replace its street lighting with lower intensity lighting.
It was RESOLVED: -
That Babergh District Council recognises that light pollution is increasing and that it causes harm to wildlife and insects as well as being problematical for many people particularly when the light is high in intensity. Therefore, the Council seeks to reduce the intensity and extent of outdoor lighting within its public realm and housing assets as well as in other lighting schemes where it has influence, to the extent practical. The Council will also include firm guidance in its Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document to protect and enhance dark skies for the benefit of wildlife as well as human health and wellbeing.