Light pollution

I want to approach the local council about asking them to sheild a street
light at the bottom of my garden? Which is the best approach? Does anyone
have a standard letter I could use?

Steve

Hi Steve

Well, it worked for me! I contacted the street lighting department, writing
a letter explaining about my problem with their light at the bottom of my
garden. At first there was a cold response, though the chap conceded that a
simple shade could be fitted. Nothing happened. I wrote again several
months later, repeating the nature of the problem and pointing out that light
pollution was now recognised and suitable fittings were available. After
there was no acceptable response I contacted my local councillors and invited
them to come along to meet me and see the problem of the light.

Entertainingly, in his letter, the council chappie tried to defend their
position by telling me that Patrick Moore had praised the lighting on one
street in Southampton! That was so funny by its irrelevance that I paused for
a week to stop laughing. I then wrote that I had known Patrick since 1963 and
that he would probably not be delighted to see his quotes used in this manner.

The meeting with the councillors was very successful and they understood the
problem. A new full-cut-off lamp was fitted, followed by a re-positioning of
the 'old' shade. It is now about as good as one could expect.

Gentle, factual and persistent.

regards

Lawrence Harris


On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 14:13:59 +0100, "Steve" wrote:

I want to approach the local council about asking them to sheild a street
light at the bottom of my garden? Which is the best approach? Does anyone
have a standard letter I could use?

Steve

In message , Steve
writes
I want to approach the local council about asking them to sheild a street
light at the bottom of my garden? Which is the best approach? Does anyone
have a standard letter I could use?

You could try phoning the local lighting engineer for a quick chat. They
are not all mad bad and dangerous to known. Some are even quite helpful.

A fairly simple letter in your own words with a picture of the offending
light and a description of why you want it shielded is as good a method
as any. Don't start off by being confrontational - even using the term
light pollution can be enough to put their backs up. If you annoy them
then your chances of success are reduced to practically nil.

Depending on the local council you might get a more sympathetic hearing
if you say it prevents you from sleeping at night.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

or you could do this :-

http://www.robertvincent.freeserve.co.uk/


use the link within the top of the frame on the left of the page - ive used
it myself - and caused quite a stir with my local council.

all the best

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
In message , Steve
writes
I want to approach the local council about asking them to sheild a street
light at the bottom of my garden? Which is the best approach? Does anyone
have a standard letter I could use?

You could try phoning the local lighting engineer for a quick chat. They
are not all mad bad and dangerous to known. Some are even quite helpful.

A fairly simple letter in your own words with a picture of the offending
light and a description of why you want it shielded is as good a method
as any. Don't start off by being confrontational - even using the term
light pollution can be enough to put their backs up. If you annoy them
then your chances of success are reduced to practically nil.

Depending on the local council you might get a more sympathetic hearing
if you say it prevents you from sleeping at night.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

Steve wrote:
I want to approach the local council about asking them to sheild a
street light at the bottom of my garden? Which is the best approach?
Does anyone have a standard letter I could use?

Steve

Just write them saying that it's keeping you awake at night and you fail to
see why you have to shell out for a set of heavy curtains just because in
your view the council can't be a*sed to fit decent shields to lanterns sited
in residential areas.

Don't mention the night sky, stars or anything at all to do with astronomy.
They'll think you're some sort of f**king wierdo, rather than an awkward
b*st*rd who can be easily silenced by booking Paddy and Murphy to pop out
with the tower and fit the bloody thing.

Be as bloody minded as you dare.

It's YOUR council...

Regards
Chef!

Many thanks for all the advice.

JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Martin Brown
posted at Thu, 10 Jun 2004 18:38:47 :

You could try phoning the local lighting engineer for a quick chat. They
are not all mad bad and dangerous to known. Some are even quite helpful.

...

Depending on the local council you might get a more sympathetic hearing
if you say it prevents you from sleeping at night.

If one is known to be an astronomer, the council may find it difficult
to believe that one actually wants to sleep at night. Better, perhaps,
to assert that it prevents the wife (if extant) from sleeping at night -
moreover, they will then believe that one will not be _allowed_ to stop
complaining ... Or /vice versa/, of course.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.

"Lawrence" lawrence@astronomer wrote in message
s.com...
Hi Steve

Well, it worked for me! I contacted the street lighting department,
writing
a letter explaining about my problem with their light at the bottom of my
garden.
And for me. I contacted our street lighting department at Welshpool, Powys
and a few weeks later a foreman came around to discuss my request. I plied
him with tea and biscuits and chatted about astronomy and stuff. He was
quite sympathetic and was aware of recent light pollution issues. He didn't
put up a shield but he did change the old style fitting for a more modern
type with less sideways illumination and suggested I contact him again if it
is still a problem.
Jo