EXTERIOR LIGHTING MASTER PLAN Prepared for: Northumberland National Park Authority and Kielder Water & Forest Park By James H Paterson BA(Hons), CEng, FILP, MCIBSE Lighting Consultancy And Design Services Ltd. Rosemount House, Well Road, Moffat DG10 9BT. Tel: 01683 220 299 Version 2. July 2013 Exterior Lighting Master Plan Issue 04.2013 Northumberland National Park Authority combined with Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust Dark Sky Park - Exterior Lighting Master Plan Contents 1 Preamble 1.1.1 Introduction to Lighting Master Plans for Dark Sky Status 1.1.2 Summary of Dark Sky Plan Statements 1.2 Introduction to Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water & Forest Park 1.2.1 Northumberland National Park 1.2.2 Kielder Water & Forest Park 1.3 The Astronomers’ Viewpoint 1.4 Night Sky Darkness Evaluation 1.5 Technical Lighting Data 1.6 “Fully Shielded” Concept Visualisation as Electronic Model 1.7 Environmental Zone Concept 1.8 Typical Task and Network Illuminance 2 Dark Sky Park Concept and Basic Light Limitation Plan 2.1 Dark Sky Park – Concept 2.2 Switching Regime (Time Limited) 2.3 Basic Light Limitation Plan - Environmental Zone E0's 2.4 Basic Light Limitation Plan - Environmental Zone E1 2.5 External Zone – South Scotland / North England Dark Sky Band 2.6 External Zone – Dark Sky Light Limitation – Environmental Zone E2 3 Planning Requirements 3.1 General 3.2 Design Stage 3.3 Non-photometric Lumen Cap method for domestic exterior lighting 3.4 Sports Lighting 4 Special Lighting Application Considerations 5 Existing Lighting 5.1 Lighting Audit - General 5.2 Recommended Changes 5.3 Northumberland National Park Lighting Inventory 5.4 Kielder Water and Forest Park Lighting Inventory 5.5 Public Lighting Audit - Town Totals 5.6 Towns in External Zone- awaiting data from NCC& SBC 5.7 Luminaire Profiles 5.8 "Public" Lighting Inventory - Detail Synopsis - awaiting data from NCC APPENDICES A - H Lighting Consultancy And Design Services Ltd Page - 1 - Rosemount House, Well Road, Moffat, DG10 9BT Tel: 01683 220 299 Exterior Lighting Master Plan Issue 04.2013 Appendix A – Definitions Appendix B – Night Sky Brightness Nomogram Appendix C - Domestic Retro-fit examples for Environmental Zone E0's Appendix D – Commercial luminaire examples for Environmental Zone E1's Appendix E – General Domestic Lighting – Equipment Profiles Appendix F – Domestic Lamp Wattage and Lumen Output Chart Appendix G – Property Self-Audit Guidelines – The Next Step Appendix H - Design Guidance / Planning Application Guidance Note Lighting Consultancy And Design Services Ltd Page - 2 - Rosemount House, Well Road, Moffat, DG10 9BT Tel: 01683 220 299 Exterior Lighting Master Plan Issue 04.2013 1 Preamble 1.1.1 Introduction to Lighting Master Plans for Dark Sky Status The provision of and also the continued working to a Exterior Lighting Master Plan is an essential element, required by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), when considering the initial merits of their Dark Sky Award process and also their continued monitoring of the night sky quality. The IDA also have the option of withdrawing their support of any award if future sky measurements show a marked decrease in star visibility. Therefore in addition to forming an essential part of a Dark Sky Status application for appraisal by the IDA the ongoing purpose of this exterior Lighting Management Plan (LMP) is to provide a base document of advice and recommendations for the National Park Authority, adjacent Local Municipal Authorities, Commerce and residents alike. Its use will help to mitigate the effects of stray and obtrusive light, often generally referred to as “light pollution”, from all exterior lighting whether the lighting is intended for domestic, public, agriculture or commercial use. To this end the document is not regulatory but will outline strategies of best working practice to follow in both :- x Planning for lighting with appropriate design and planning guidelines and x Appropriate choice of lighting fixtures and correct lighting installation practice This plan’s principal aim is to provide practical advice on mitigating stray light, which astronomers, and others, may find obtrusive, within the boundaries of Northumberland National Park and part of the immediately adjacent Kielder Water and Forest Park, which are both situated in the north of England at the border with Scotland. Although the advice given is relative to both Parks all the guidelines can be equally followed in the other parts of the adjacent counties. This will help to protect, maintain or even, hopefully, improve the existing dark sky attributes and the rural environmental setting of intrinsic darkness, which is enjoyed by both Parks' residents. Although this plan is principally about preserving this area's greatest natural asset - its dark night sky, there are other benefits such as energy saving and carbon footprint reduction when stray light is reduced. English National Parks are administered by a National Park Authority which exists:- x To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Park. and x To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Park by the public. The protection of the remaining dark night sky fulfils key elements in both of these two national objectives. Within all English Forest Parks the day to day management of forest estates is exercised by the Forestry Commission England. However, planning matters, within Kielder Forest area (excluding the forest area within the Northumberland National Park), are administered by Northumberland County Council and the boundary of this County can be seen in outline on Figure 1.11. Lighting Consultancy And Design Services Ltd Page - 3 - Rosemount House, Well Road, Moffat, DG10 9BT Tel: 01683 220 299 Exterior Lighting Master Plan Issue 04.2013 1.1.2 Summary of Dark Sky Plan Statements Plan Statement Number 1 The Authority will endeavour to ensure that no lighting will be allowed to be projected from the adjacent light permitted Zones into the E0-0 areas and any overspill lighting from properties to be no greater than 0.05 lux (horizontal) at ground level or 0.05 lux vertical at 1 metre (or higher) above ground on the E0-0 side of the property boundary. (see section 2.3) Plan Statement Number 2 Any new or replacement lighting within the E0-250 Zone boundary shown in Figure 2.3 should be “Fully Cut-Off” (Fully Shielded (IDA term)) regardless of light source lumen output. (see section 2.3) Plan Statement Number 3 Residents in the E0-250 and E0-50 Zones are to be encouraged to limit the visual perception of light output at their property boundary by adapting or modifying existing units to this end. (see section 2.3) Plan Statement Number 4 Residents in the E1 communities within an E0-250 area are to be encouraged to limit the overspill light at their property boundary to no more than 0.5 lux. (see section 2.4) Plan Statement Number 5 Even although a village has a street lighting system the residents live with and enjoy intrinsic darkness and as shown in Table 1.1, equivalent to Environmental Zone E1-0. (see section 2.4) Plan Statement Number 6 Where possible all new lighting within this application boundary should be designed and installed to provide lower glare or intensity values, where possible, than that recommended by the ILP for night time Environmental Zones. (see section 2.4) Lighting Consultancy And Design Services Ltd Page - 4 - Rosemount House, Well Road, Moffat, DG10 9BT Tel: 01683 220 299 Exterior Lighting Master Plan Issue 04.2013 Plan Statement Number 7 All design submissions and planning applications that include external lighting within this application boundary should be encouraged to show evidence of compliance with the zero candela intensity at 900 and above and encourage domestic luminaires to be selected from units having some form of upward light control. (see section 2.4) Plan Statement Number 8 Through this LMP surrounding Planning Authorities will be encouraged to ensure that all design submissions and planning applications that include external lighting beyond this application boundary should monitor evidence of compliance with the zero candela intensity at 900 and above. (see section 2.6) Plan Statement Number 9 Through this LMP it will be possible to encourage developers, when required, to adopt and provide a lighting industry professionally prepared submission for planning consideration. (see section 3.1) Lighting Consultancy And Design Services Ltd Page - 5 - Rosemount House, Well Road, Moffat, DG10 9BT Tel: 01683 220 299 Exterior Lighting Master Plan Issue 04.2013 1.2 Introduction to Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water & Forest Park There are 15 National Parks in Britain with only two, Exmoor in England and Brecon Beacons in Wales, recently approved by the IDA as Dark Sky "Reserve" locations. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, in Scotland, are nearing completion of their application following the continuing success of Galloway Forest Park and the town of Moffat is preparing an application to become Europe's first Dark Sky Town. The general location of this application is on the border of Scotland and England as shown in Figure 1.1 and located some 10 miles from Newcastle upon Tyne. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Northumberland National Park Kielder Water & Forest Park Moffat Newcastle- upon-Tyne Kielder Obseratory Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park © Crown copyright and database rights 2012 Ordnance Survey PU100040361 Figure 1.1 – General location of Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water & Forest Park Northumberland National Park has a total area of 405 square miles and Kielder Water & Forest Park, which incorporates England's largest woodland, covers an area of 250 square miles. There is an overlap of the respective Park boundaries and some 67% of Kielder Water & Forest Park is included in this proposal and therefore this application covers a cohesive area of 572 square miles (1,482 square kilometres) of English countryside.