Light from council building
Discussion
The council recently installed some massive LED floodlights at one of their buildings, and they're lighting up our bedroom at night. As far as I can tell they come on when it gets dark and go off when it's light.
The building's not even that close and the lights are angled down - but they're so bright that it's leaking through our curtains and if we step into the back garden after dark it's blinding.
The council's "Environmental Health Officer" has basically said they won't do anything because the lights aren't directed at our window (they're side-on) and we should just fit thicker curtains.
We live in a very dark area (only fields behind our house) so the light has made quite a big change.
I'm not trying to be unreasonable, they can keep the lights on at night if they want, but they need to fit one that's not so wide-angle!
Anything I can do?
The building's not even that close and the lights are angled down - but they're so bright that it's leaking through our curtains and if we step into the back garden after dark it's blinding.
The council's "Environmental Health Officer" has basically said they won't do anything because the lights aren't directed at our window (they're side-on) and we should just fit thicker curtains.
We live in a very dark area (only fields behind our house) so the light has made quite a big change.
I'm not trying to be unreasonable, they can keep the lights on at night if they want, but they need to fit one that's not so wide-angle!
Anything I can do?
DEFRA guidance notes state:
It is sometimes stated that a complaint ... could easily be mitigated by the use of curtains
or blinds ... It is for the Environmental Health Practitioner to exercise discretion over what
is reasonable and what is not. It might be reasonable to expect a complainant to use curtains
or blinds of everyday standard if they are bothered by unwanted light ... It might not be
reasonable to require a complainant to purchase blackout hangings which might be expensive,
and/or impair that person’s enjoyment of their property. It is not reasonable to leave the
solution and cost of abatement to the complainant rather than the perpetrator. Few would
wish to have their curtains drawn on a hot summer’s night."
Note the exemptions section too.
https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/sites/default/...
It is sometimes stated that a complaint ... could easily be mitigated by the use of curtains
or blinds ... It is for the Environmental Health Practitioner to exercise discretion over what
is reasonable and what is not. It might be reasonable to expect a complainant to use curtains
or blinds of everyday standard if they are bothered by unwanted light ... It might not be
reasonable to require a complainant to purchase blackout hangings which might be expensive,
and/or impair that person’s enjoyment of their property. It is not reasonable to leave the
solution and cost of abatement to the complainant rather than the perpetrator. Few would
wish to have their curtains drawn on a hot summer’s night."
Note the exemptions section too.
https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/sites/default/...
Thanks for the replies, I'll have a read through the link posted above.
Curtains are lined, but they're cream and not blackout curtains, so they do let in light.
Apparently the council sent someone round to our street to see how bad it is... during work hours... when the sun was out... and the light was off... and you can't even see it from the front of the street, you have to go through the house. They said the light was off during their visit but doesn't look like it would be that bad
Curtains are lined, but they're cream and not blackout curtains, so they do let in light.
Apparently the council sent someone round to our street to see how bad it is... during work hours... when the sun was out... and the light was off... and you can't even see it from the front of the street, you have to go through the house. They said the light was off during their visit but doesn't look like it would be that bad
Morally you shouldn't be left out of pocket as a result of having to modify your property to circumvent issues caused by a modification that someone else has made to their property. In reality you're on a hiding to nothing, particularly with local government who have a habit of thinking their s
t doesn't smell. Buy some thicker curtains and/or a blackout blind before the excess light energy entering your bedroom causes your piss to boil.
t doesn't smell. Buy some thicker curtains and/or a blackout blind before the excess light energy entering your bedroom causes your piss to boil.+1 get onto your local councillor if environmental health person does nothing.
This is the council's problem to not cause you a nuisance - not yours to 'solve'.
My parents had similar probem with the school across road - new mis-aligned floodlights that generally illuminated the house (and bedrooms) unreasonably. I pointed out from experience that cctv cameras made in the last 5yrs generally work down to 3lux (ie - moonlight). Fortunately school tested this and these lights (- after realignment!) now only come on if triggered by internal alarms, because it saves power; win-win.
This is the council's problem to not cause you a nuisance - not yours to 'solve'.
My parents had similar probem with the school across road - new mis-aligned floodlights that generally illuminated the house (and bedrooms) unreasonably. I pointed out from experience that cctv cameras made in the last 5yrs generally work down to 3lux (ie - moonlight). Fortunately school tested this and these lights (- after realignment!) now only come on if triggered by internal alarms, because it saves power; win-win.
Why do they need to have the building illuminated at night anyway? Are they security lights, or is it just ego-stroking for the council?
If the latter, then perhaps a suggestion to your councilor that we are living in an age of austerity and it won't look good at the election when they put up the council tax to pay the electricity bill ...
If the latter, then perhaps a suggestion to your councilor that we are living in an age of austerity and it won't look good at the election when they put up the council tax to pay the electricity bill ...
Flooble said:
Why do they need to have the building illuminated at night anyway? Are they security lights, or is it just ego-stroking for the council?
If the latter, then perhaps a suggestion to your councilor that we are living in an age of austerity and it won't look good at the election when they put up the council tax to pay the electricity bill ...
Lights should be on a PIR and time clock, never on all nightIf the latter, then perhaps a suggestion to your councilor that we are living in an age of austerity and it won't look good at the election when they put up the council tax to pay the electricity bill ...
Flooble said:
Why do they need to have the building illuminated at night anyway? Are they security lights, or is it just ego-stroking for the council?
It's a council-owned wedding venue. Not very busy, less than 1 wedding per week in peak season. I think there has been one wedding so far in 2016.They said the lights are to illuminate the outside of the building (which is a bit hilly/hazardous) for guests. That's fine... But they used a light about 10 times brighter than is needed. It comes on every night when it gets dark and stays on all night. The only people that ever go there are wedding guests and dog walkers.
PorkInsider said:
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