Street Light Poles

[sunny-dave]

I live in the countryside - it's dark at night (that's sort of how it should be, I think).

There are a couple of old/inefficient street lamps along my bit of road (which has a 30mph limit signed).

The local council is upgrading the old lamps to new/efficient LED lights - which are more effectively targeted on the road/pavement and spill less light where it's not wanted (at least in theory). And they are cheaper to run.

So far, so good ... but ...

... some wonk (probably just out of engineering school) has now calculated that they are 'too far apart' for 'modern standards'.

So - they are planning to add a new pole/light halfway between the existing poles - which dumps it immediately outside my house. No-one has asked for it. No-one wants it (least of all me). No-one ever walks along that bit of path after dark - except me and my neighbours going to/from the pub. We could do it blindfold - but the existing lights are plenty good enough. It's a nonsense to be applying suburban standards to a short stretch of country lane.

I've had no formal notification (I found out by accident when asking a workman what was going on). The installation is due to be done in less than two weeks time & seems to be a fait accompli.

Is there anything I can do to stop this absurd waste of money and degradation of my quality of life - it will shine directly into my upstairs windows and destroy my view of the night sky. As well as being an eyesore during the day.

Help !!!

[gness]

Dave....I know just how you feel.....I have one outside my bedroom window and it's a pain....

.....but a nice young man recently told me how to turn it off...if your light is the same as mine.....I'll let you in on the secret......☻

[tonyav]

Best of luck with the council jobworths, Dave.
gness does your method involve a catapult.

[Hopkirk]

It will probably go off at midnight, so stop worrying.

[Cloverjo]

You could write to them and tell them what you've said here. They might be glad to find a way of saving a bit of money.

[237SJ]

It probably won`t shine directly into your upstairs windows. From what I have seen of them, they really do direct the light down towards the pavement.

[carrust]

Do the bright lights interrupt your banjo playing & pig sticking in the evening? LOL

[gness]

No....I considered that, Tony....but the damage would soon point to the culprit. I now know a much more subtle way.

Hopkirk.....if mine went off at midnight I'd still be up and not notice it...it's on til dawn breaks..

[woofgang]

not sure where you live but this might help
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/roads/street-lighting/street-lighting-pfi-faq.htm#22

scroll down to light shield and post removal

[sunny-dave]

The whole thing is an absurd waste of money - and further adds to the creeping suburbanisation of the countryside.

Even if the light pollution issue isn't too bad (although I hae me doots), the presence of a damn great pole doesn't do a lot for my view across the fields in the hours of daylight.

[sunny-dave]

Woofie - thanks for the link - I've found something similar for my local authority.

The problem seems to be that this replacement exercise is a PFI jobbie, where the contractors are following 'guidelines' rather too rigidly - to the exclusion of any common sense it seems.

[237SJ]

I know it might be a creeping suburbanisation of the countyside but I was brought up in a rural area with no streetlights and (as a female teenager) I felt a lot safer when we eventually got them.

[gness]

I once contacted the Mayor of Kettering with an issue I wasn't getting anywhere with.....be a nuisance....

And you know that you...and any neighbours who are like minded....can just sit on the kerb and stop the work....and I am serious about that....ask me about the doors of Kettering library over a pint....☺

[Psybbo]

Just get Gness over when they arrive, she'll scare the pants off them x

[sunny-dave]

Thank you all for your replies - can we just leave this now & hope that one of the AB legal eagles may have some useful input.

Thanks

dave