Dark Skies Confrence

[Whitters]

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BAA electronic bulletin No. 00461            http://www.britastro.org/
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Dear Colleague

The Campaign for Dark Skies (CfDS) and the Campaign to Protect Rural
England (CPRE) are hosting a one day conference on January 22nd at De
Montfort University, Leicester, UK. We hope that you will be
interested in attending (for which there is no charge).

The aim of the conference is to bring together organisations with an
interest in light pollution and its effects. We can discuss the nature
of the existing problems and explore a way forward. We believe the
outcome of the meeting could be very beneficial to all concerned;
there is a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise available on
this subject but so far it has perhaps lacked a cohesive approach in
influencing Government. We would very much welcome your participation
in this event. We have also invited other interested bodies.

Our two organisations feel the most pressing and immediate objective
is to urge the Government to fulfil its promise to control light
pollution at the planning stage. The CfDS and CPRE gave evidence at
the 2003 Science & Technology Select Committee report on Light
Pollution and Astronomy. As a result of this report the Government
accepted the need to control artificial lighting, and it became
subject to the law of statutory nuisance.

The Government also gave an undertaking to control light via an annex
to Planning Policy Statement 23 – PPS23. However this has yet to be
published despite correspondence and indeed Questions in the House of
Commons. Of course the general election is pending and an incoming
administration might not feel obliged to implement its predecessor's
promises, adding urgency to our call for action.

We are not alone in being frustrated at the lack of progress in the
implementation of PPS23. The recently published Royal Commission on
Environmental Pollution "Report on Artificial Light in the
Environment" specifically recommended not only that the lighting annex
to PPS23 be implemented.

We are sure this will prove to be a very fruitful event; we have much
to learn and share with one another. We do hope very much that you
will be able to attend.

Please reply to Martin Morgan-Taylor  (mart@dmu.ac.uk) if you are able
to attend, and you will be sent full joining instructions.

Bob Mizon
Co-ordinator
The Campaign for Dark Skies