Lighting: Pollution Control

(asked on 15th October 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to address light pollution in the countryside.


This question was answered on 29th October 2020

The Government has put in place a range of measures to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through controls in the planning system, the statutory nuisance regime, and when improvements are made to street lighting.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the possible ecological impacts of artificial light should be considered in the planning system. It makes clear that policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution on local amenity, dark landscapes and nature conservation, including where there may be impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. Defra has contributed to associated guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Defra has published or contributed to a range of assessments of the impact of artificial light on insects and wider biodiversity, which are published on our science website. Defra also keeps under review relevant, externally funded studies, for example on potential impacts of artificial light pollution on insects with our academic partners on the National Pollinator Strategy for England.

We strongly welcome the designation of the South Downs and Exmoor National Parks as International Dark Sky Reserves, two of only 16 in the world. As a result of this designation these National Parks have incorporated local policies to protect dark skies. We welcome the adoption of these local policies for dark sky protection and understand their extension to other National Parks is under consideration.

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