Switching streetlights off late at night, or not...

[Tony G]

Great if it happens but it seems a bit shortsighted surely you fit the lights with PIRs rather than timers. These would turn on the light ahead so there is always at least two lights on either side of the person. I can't imagine it would be anymore expensive. This will keep everyone happy.

I'm sure the cats, dogs and foxes will feel a lot more secure but lights switching on and off, apparently at random, could be more annoying for residents

I think it would be more annoying to the moths.

Tony G

[MarkS]

If they would switch off Maidstone, Ashford and Tenterden every night I would be more than happy

[Ivor]

Oh the nay sayers, if you can set the house alarm to not be sensitive to pets I'm sure you could do the same for these, clearly I'd prefer no lights.

[Rick]

Judging by the number of PIR-controlled lights round here which switch on at all manner of passing warm bodies       , I'd say that, while it may be possible to get the sensitivity right, most times it doesn't happen.

At least an off switch is more likely to be reliable.

[Fay]

as long as people dont put loads more lights in their gardens. an imbecile around the corner to me has a dozen zebra crossing lights all along his front wall!!!!!

[RobertM]

[RANT]
Contents sensored
[/RANT]

In summary I totally agree with all the other comments - PIR so often means Prat In Residence these days.

Robert

[MarkS]

Ashford B.C. have realised that they have some of the darkest skies in the South East.  There is a possibility of a planning document to preserve this natural resource and to control the further spread of light pollution.  The introduction of some kind of "dark sky protection zone".

Further info here:
http://www.ashford.gov.uk/news/shining-a-light-on-light-pollution-24th-march-741/

Consultation documents here:
https://haveyoursay.ashford.gov.uk/consult.ti/Dark_Skies/consultationHome?

[RobertM]

Sounds like you moved to the right neck of the woods

[MarkS]

Mick also ...

[mickw]

Mick also ...

 
Unlike Mark, I'm a complete and utter lazy git and have done nothing constructive since being here kept in the dark 

[MarkS]

The Ashford Observatory/Planetarium project is (local) front page news:
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/romney-marsh/news/ashford-the-final-frontier-16613/

Hence Ashford's possible planning policy on light pollution and a dark sky protection zone:
http://forum.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/index.php?topic=9634.0

[MarkS]

Kent County Council is now in Phase 2 of a plan to switch off many street lights between midnight and 5:30am.  This is being implemented during the course of this year.  Many areas have already been done.  The squares in yellow in the map below indicate the street lights being affected.



You can zoom in and browse interactively here:
http://webapps.kent.gov.uk/KCC.MyNearestGIS.Web.Sites.Public/?lyrs=38,39&xmin=486352&xmax=695648&ymin=91716&ymax=191284&bg=_osColour

If you zoom in sufficiently you can see the individual lights.

Inevitably the scheme has aroused controversy and as a result the number of street lights affected could end up being reduced.  But hopefully we can look forward to some darker sky!

Mark

[Mike]

That's good news. Let's hope the 'controversy' from the paranoid brigade doesn't ruin it all.

[Kenny]

Shame they don't appear to be doing inside the M25.

[MarkS]

Shame they don't appear to be doing inside the M25.

Swanley, North Cray, Hextable, Wilmington, Dartford?  They're affected and they're all within the M25.  The map I showed did not cover everything but the interactive link does.