Developing a Dark Skies Policy for Charlbury

Wed 5 Mar, 17:36

This from the Neighbourhood Plan:

"Charlbury’s dark skies are an important part of its character, allowing stars to be seen at night. A map produced by the Cotswolds Conservation Board shows Charlbury to be one of the towns with the lowest levels of light pollution in the Cotswolds (rated 2, on a scale of 1 to 5). The importance of tranquillity and dark skies within the Cotswolds is explained in two Cotswold Conservation Board Position Statements: on Dark Skies and Artificial Light – March 2019; and on Tranquility – June 2019 Policy NE4 addresses this important issue. The second part of the policy supports only those proposals for external lighting which are designed to deliver the minimum level of lighting for identified purposes (such as pedestrian access and/or safety issues). As part of this assessment new lighting should avoid casting light to areas where it is not needed, and into any neighbouring homes in particular. Whilst it is not directly a policy matter existing light pollution should be reduced or removed where possible."

Whilst I'm definitely not against the dark skies initiative in principle, I'm a little concerned about "expanding it" as Liz R has said. In the NP, it talks about the possibility of removing public lighting... There is also no mention of introducing lighting to places where it is needed, so can I take it from Liz's statement that the group will focus on reducing street lighting regardless of what is needed or what is safe to all demographics in the town?

Liz R also mentions that it isn't just streetlighting that the group will be considering. 

Does this mean outside lights people have on their houses? Again, not against this in principle - some people have flood lights attached to their houses that are a nuisance to humans and wildlife - but how would this be regulated or enforced? By planning permissions? What about existing outside lights - would this be retrospective? 

I appreciate the working group needs volunteers but the chair of it must have an objective and budget otherwise it wouldn't have been created in the first place.