Street lights, dark skies
Some while ago I had a card through the door from Dorset County Council and Southern Electric to say that street lights would be updated in this area "in the next four weeks". The first step is to mark the positions on the ground "in the next few days" followed by excavating holes, erecting new poles, fitting the new lights, changing the wiring and removing the old ones. They have a web site to keep us informed about progress.
I've seen no sign of any activity at all so far, though I think the card arrived quite a few weeks ago.
Two of my interests are involved here:
- energy efficiency
- light pollution
I'm keen to see improved efficiency, reducing energy consumption which is essential in these times of rising energy costs as well as our need to reduce greenhouse gases. Energy saved will partly offset the cost of the work.
As a keen watcher of the night sky, it'll be wonderful if they do a decent job and light gets directed vertically downwards towards the ground where it's needed, instead of sideways haphazardly - for instance into my garden. When the leaves drop off the trees, I can see about four street lights in three directions and it's hard to find a dark spot to get a good view of the sky. People with poorly positioned security lights are a problem too.
I searched online for 'light pollution' and found some worthwhile sites:
http://www.lightpollution.org.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pollution
http://www.darksky.org/
On the basis of the lack of activity so far, and the fact that the web site http://lightsonindorset.co.uk/ just says "Coming Soon..." I'm not going to celebrate until I actually see the job done.
Are you pleased about this change if it happens or doesn't it bother you? Do you want to see the sky?
Street Lights: action imminent?
I had a four page leaflet through the door today from Dorset County Council and Southern Electric Contracting about the changes to street lighting, so they hadn't completely forgotten. It says "in the next few days new positions for the lamp posts will be marked..." so maybe it really will happen.
The back page mentions their web site again, where presumably they intend to tell us something. We'll have to guess what they were going to say though as it just says 'coming soon' as it did in November. Maybe I should offer to do their web site.
For no information at all, see http://lightsonindorset.co.uk/
Global warming and dark skies
There were recent postings about the standard of lighting in Corfe Mullen and the waste of electricity in letting light shine upwards. It only serves a useful purpose if it is directed to illuminate things which we want to look at, which are generally near ground level. I had a moan about the Village Hall external lights which are folded fluorescent tubes radiating in a vertical plane.
If you would like to see how much light pollution Corfe Mullen
represents then please click the link and zoom into the area by
clicking on the appropriate location.
http://avex.org.free.fr/cartes-pl/uk/UK-pl-relief-topo.html
John C.
Proposed Street Lighting upgrade
Andrew,
With reference to your article on New Street lighting to reduce light pollution of the night skies.
I have no specific data on the progress of the works but I can confirm that new heavy duty electricity cable is being installed from the Electricity Sub Station, at the rear of Harlees Chip Shop, up to the main Wareham Road. This upgrade work may be relevant.
However you may recall a couple of years ago the Street Lighting, along the length of Wareham Road, being replaced with new light units.
Prior to this work being completed I could stand in my back garden, approximately 80 metres back from the main road, and comfortably count the number of stars in the night skies. Not many I can assue you.
Following the installation of the new lighting units the results were dramatic. The number of stars now visible is countless.
The new lighting units, in my experience, most defininatly reduce light polution to a very noticable extent.
If you can find a position where you can view one of the lighting columns on Wareham Road from the side you will see the light beam directed downwards with defined edges to the beam (not unlike a hand held torch) None of the light goes sideways or upwards.
We can only hope that the Authorities keep to their promised timescales and I am sure your patience will then be rewarded with fabulous views of our night skies.
Always assuming of course that we get a few cloudless nights.
Regards
Dave Wright
Intended lighting updates.
The intention sounds good. I hope that the change soon includes the lights fixed to the walls of the Library and Village Hall. They are a particularly bad design, mounted at approximately eye level such that they spread as much light upwards as they do downwards. Light shining directly into the eyes actually reduces visibility by closing down the eye pupils. Only light illuminating something near ground level is useful, and so most of the light from those lamps is counter productive. A solution to the same design problem was implemented at Durlston Country Park, but that has failed to result in action here.
Light and Hope
Thanks Dave, your post gives me hope that the work will reduce light pollution when complete. I just need to be patient.
Anonymous: I shouldn't think the Library or Village Hall lights are part of this work. I can't picture them but I expect you're thinking of security lights which are the responsibility of those buildings and nothing to do with street lighting. I can imagine that light from those buildings might interfere with the view of the night sky for those living nearby.
Light and Hope
The Library and Village Hall wall mounted lights are supposed to serve a similar purpose to street lighting. They scatter light in the general area of public movement between the Library, Village Hall, Play Area, Co-op, the car parks, and the recycling skips. They are not conventional security lights but folded fluorescent tubes which scatter light in the vertical plane. I think they are appalling. In my view they are superfluous because there are five street lamps of more sensible design in the same general area. John Christian.