Summer 2016 New Mapping Helps Tackle Night Blight
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FIELD WORK Summer 2016 A new model for English farming p.4 Surrey’s Green Belt in crisis p.6 Monitoring and evaluating campaigns p.8 Progress towards our 2026 Vision p.14 Public transport oriented development p.16 Darren Baskill Darren New mapping helps tackle Night Blight he most detailed ever satellite maps of England’s dark wildlife and the wider environment: lights typically account for skies have been produced by consultants LUC for CPRE, between 15-30% of local councils’ carbon emissions – often Tenabling users to search by postcode, and providing a produced by the £613 million they were estimated to spend on more detailed and up-to-date analysis of England’s skies than street lighting in 2014-15. The research shows that motorways and the global atlas of light pollution released earlier in June. trunk roads are significant contributors to light pollution. The interactive maps were produced with satellite images CPRE’s recommendations captured at 1.30 am throughout September 2015. They show that the Isles of Scilly, West Devon and Eden in Cumbria are England’s We want Highways England use the maps to identify sections darkest districts, and that the very darkest spot in England, out of motorways and trunk roads that need urgent attention to of more than 2.25million pixels, is a secluded hillside on the East reduce light pollution. Any new lighting should be well designed Kielder Moors in Northumberland. CPRE’s interactive maps also and the minimum required to meet its purpose. Businesses give us an unprecedented level of understanding into where light should review their current lighting and future development pollution is most invasive. Unsurprisingly, nineteen of the brightest plans to save money by dimming or switching off light to 20 skies are above London boroughs, while the very brightest reduce pollution. spot is above a Tata Steel foundry in Rotherham, followed by the Above all, we hope our new maps will encourage local Thanet Earth greenhouse complex in Kent. Nationwide, the maps authorities to develop policies in local plans to control light show that just 22% of England is untouched by light pollution, and pollution, using the maps to inform decisions on local planning that 53% of our darkest skies are over National Parks and Areas applications by ensuring that existing dark skies are protected of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Northumberland National Park and that new developments do not increase local light pollution. enjoys 96% pristine night skies, while countryside to the north of They should also be identifying areas with severe light pollution Newcastle airport and Allestree Park on the edge of Derby provide and targeting action to reduce it, such as investing in dimming oases of dark in areas of high light pollution. technology or running part-night lighting schemes. The maps This research comes at a time of increasing awareness of the can also be used to identify existing dark skies that need to be harmful effects light pollution can have on the health of people, protected and enhanced. Continued on p.2 CONTACTS COVER STORY FIELDWORK New mapping helps tackle “Remedial efforts will not Volume 13, Issue 2 Night Blight only save energy, but also Editor: Oliver Hilliam Continued from p.1 enable more of us to enjoy a ([email protected] ) dark sky in the way earlier Contributors: Rebecca With roads being such a major part of the Pullinger, Emma Marrington, problem, we’d like local highway authorities to generations could” CPRE Dorset, CPRE London, develop a Street Lighting Policy, which could Shaun Spiers, Amy Peabody, include Environmental Lighting Zones to ensure Matt Thomson, Peter that appropriate lighting is used in each area. Take action in your area In early 2015, Northumberland County Council Foreman, Tim Harrold, Andy CPRE’s Night Blight website includes the began an ambitious £25 million project to interactive mapping, as well as a host of resources Smith, CPRE Herefordshire, modernise all the street lights in the county for branches and parish councils including a CPRE Oxfordshire, CPRE over the next three years. Around 44,500 street CPRE report and template leaflet to help raise Norfolk, David Edsall, Jackie lights will replaced with Light Emitting Diode awareness and lobby local authorities to take Copley, CPRE Bedfordshire, (LED) technology, with nearly 17,000 existing action to reduce light pollution. CPRE Northamptonshire, lampposts being replaced. The council are Anna Mathieson, Christopher hoping to cut energy consumption by street Detailed maps have been created for English Napier, CPRE Devon, Benjamin lighting by more than 60%, which will lead counties, districts, National Parks, AONBs and Halfpenny, Paul Miner, to savings in the region of £300,000 per year National Character Areas. Each map shows Nicholas Whitsun-Jones, Liz and reduce the carbon footprint of the street the percentage of pixels within the boundary lighting stock by more than 5,000 tonnes of Hamilton, CPRE Kent, Lillian that falls under each brightness category. An carbon dioxide. Burns, Trinley Walker. editable template leaflet has been created for Positive reaction use as a county based handout at CPRE events, showing local information from the maps. They Fieldwork is the newsletter of Duncan Wise, Visitor Development and will also be useful in responding to planning the Campaign to Protect Rural Marketing Manager, Northumberland National applications, and with CPRE contacting English England, published in April, Park, welcomed the report, saying: “Everyone local authorities to promote the maps, it is worth August and November. should have the opportunity to appreciate the arranging meetings with your contacts in local beauty of the Milky Way with their own eyes. authorities to discuss the detailed maps for the CPRE works locally and nationally It should not be the preserve of just those who county or district, and what action they could to stand up for the countryside: are fortunate enough to live in rural areas. We take to tackle sources of light pollution and to protect it from the threats it can all do our bit. If you need to install outside protect dark skies. faces, and to shape its future for lights on your home or business, make sure that they are fully-shielded, to only shine In many cases there is something that can be the better. downwards, where the light is needed. Also done. The first UK law tackling light pollution consider how much light you need and the came into force in 2006 under Section 102 of ISSN 1744-8905 (Print) colour temperature of your light bulb. These the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act ISSN 1744-8913 (Online) simple steps will make a real difference to our (2005). Exterior lighting joined noise and smells quality of life and help ensure that our skies on the list of things that can be treated as a above remain truly dark.” Statutory Nuisance, and something your local council's Environmental Health Department can take legal action against. The law makes “Local authorities should 'exterior light emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance' a criminal be identifying areas with offence. This law doesn't tackle all forms of 5–11 Lavington Street light pollution, only incidents of particularly severe light pollution bad lighting from some types of premises which London, SE1 0NZ cause people real nuisance. CPRE would like Tel: 020 7981 2800 and targeting action to to see it used (and our Night Blight website Fax: 020 7981 2899 reduce it” offers further guidance) to raise awareness of [email protected] the issue and to help people who really are www.cpre.org.uk Sir Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, suffering from severe light pollution. commented: “It has taken a great deal of We have also developed exciting lesson plans A company limited by guarantee, dedicated effort to generate these maps. By for primary school children, with funding from registered in England, number highlighting the regions where light pollution the Royal Astronomical Society. The plans 4302973. Registered charity number is greatest, they will encourage remedial focus on art and design for Key Stage 1 and 1089685. efforts that will not only save energy, but also science for Key Stage 2. They are a fun and enable more of us to enjoy a dark sky in the All the articles and features within educational way for children to learn more way earlier generations could.” Responding about stars and gain a basic understanding of this publication are copyright of the to our research, a Tata Steel UK spokesman CPRE and may not be reprinted or light pollution. Emails have been sent to all distributed without the prior written told the Sunday Times: “We are always English primary schools to encourage use of consent of the publishers. looking at ways of reducing the impact of the lesson plans. We hope that branches and our operations on the environment and the parish councils will promote the lesson plans communities in which we are based. For with their local schools. that reason we have an ongoing programme to replace all lighting with modern low- Find out more: Read our full report, search energy units which are more directional and our mapping and download resources at http:// therefore create less light pollution." nightblight.cpre.org.uk 2 Fieldwork Summer 2016 SUCCESSES IN THIS ISSUE featured BREAKthrough contents How our work is making a difference New mapping helps tackle Night Blight p.1 Dorset solar Mapperton solar farm quashed farm defeated p.3 CPRE Dorset campaigners was seriously misled by came after Good Energy A new model for were celebrating in June when the Officers’ Report which Limited were forced to English farming p.4 the High Court of Justice recommended permission be withdraw an earlier application quashed planning permission granted.