Artificial light has many uses: as the illumination of streets and hazardous areas, as security lighting, and for outdoor recreation facilities, but it can cause problems. Light in the wrong place can be intrusive.
Preventing light pollution
Before going to the expense and effort of installing lights, consider the following points:
- Is lighting necessary?
- Could safety/security be achieved by other measures such as the screening of an area?
- Do the lights have to be on all night?
- Install the right amount for the task - for domestic security lighting a 150w lamp is usually adequate. High power (300/500w) lamps create too much glare, reducing security. For an all-night porch light, a 9w lamp is more than adequate in most situations.
- Correctly adjusted lights only illuminate the surface intended and do not throw light onto neighbouring property. Set the angles of all main beam lights to below 70 degrees.
- Make sure security lights are adjusted so they only pick up movement of people in the area intended and not beyond.
- Direct light downwards. If uplighting has to be used, then install shields or baffles above the lamp to reduce the amount of wasted upward light.
- Do not install equipment which spreads light above the horizontal.
What light nuisance doesn't include
Light nuisance may constitute a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Statutory nuisance, however, does not apply to artificial light from:
- Railway premises
- Bus stations and any associated facilities
- Public service vehicle operating centres
- Goods vehicle operating centres
Further information
Guidance on residential external lighting is available from the Institution of Lighting Professionals.