Darkness is coming as a fresh bid is set to be launched to unlock an accredited International Dark Skies Park (IDSP) on the Isle of Wight.
Ahead of an application to the International Dark Skies Association (IDA), the Isle of Wight Council will need to address issues that saw a previous IDSP attempt rejected.
According to the IDA, a dark sky park is an area of land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry night and a nocturnal environment protected for natural conversation that implements good outdoor lighting.
If the IDSP application is successful, the Isle of Wight would be only the third in England, with other locations in Bodmin and Northumberland.
There are 7 dark sky reserves, which have a dark ‘core’ zone surrounded by populated areas, in the UK, including in the Brecon Beacons, South Downs and Yorkshire Dales. The Isle of Wight Council is looking to introduce a park that will stretch between Freshwater, Chale and the edge of Newport, hoping to add to the Island’s eco-tourism offer.
The benefits of an IDSP could see more visitors to the Island to have a better view of the stars as well as lessening the disturbance on nocturnal wildlife and their habitats.
However, one of the previous problems with the area was too-blue LED street lights, which a council spokesperson confirmed need replacing with warmer light to meet the requirements of the application.
When energy-efficient LED lighting was first introduced bulbs emitted ‘excessive amounts’ of blue light, the IDA say, typically measuring 5,000 Kelvin or more in the colour spectrum. Harsh LED lighting, above 3,000 Kelvin, produces glares that can affect dark skies and make it harder to see the natural nightscapes.
To replace the street lights in the potential dark skies park with warmer bulbs could cost £50,000.
All street lighting on the Island, in council control, was replaced by Island Roads under the Highways PFI contract between 2013 and 2016, to help make them more energy efficient.
An Island Roads spokesperson said they are delighted to continue working with the council to provide a safe street light network that also helps meet their environmental responsibilities and are very happy to actively support the council in its dark skies ambition.
In the draft Island Planning Strategy, produced earlier this year, the council has proposed a policy solely for, and to protect, a dark skies park.
If introduced it would limit the lighting that can be installed on properties in the park so it would not jeopardise the IDSP accreditation.
Cabinet will decide whether to approve the application for the IDSP status at its December meeting.
no – the problem is too many houses, with too many roads and too many streetlights.
If the current rate of building and all the lights that go with it continue in 50 years time you won’t be able to see any stars from any where on the island
Why don’t next time they upgrade a stretch of road to LED, just get 3000k lamps and swap them…..
Or even add a filter? Can’t be THAT expensive.
I for one would be willing to pay lots more council tax to save a bat which I will never see as they fly at night or a moth, which comes out in the dark and then heads straight for the nearest source of light.
Saving these two important and intelligent species by having darkness will be sure to get the public on side to pay out more hard earned cash for the council to spend so very wisely.
After all CV is alleged to have originated in bats, and the world without moths who hate light but always fly into it then eat your cotton undies would be a bleak place without both species….wouldn’t it?
Or they could just be phased in as they need replacing. Without scrapping functional bulbs, wasting resources and money. You can always apply to get the IDSP stamp in a few years once they have been replaced.
Public toilets, buses for areas SVOC refuse to service and public libraries outshine any dark sky nonsense. The island is now too built up to have proper dark sky notwithstanding the colour of street lights.
why not they waste our money on other thing they think we need and want money we don’t have oh I forgot they will put our council tax up to pay for it
could the council possibly waste ANYMORE of OUR money! jeez
the floater is bad enough but bulbs ! lol
utter waste
Yes but island roads will make a killing so the council will go ahead no mater what we say. If island roads say its a good idea the council will cave in just like boris caves in
dont even get me started on those brown envelope muppets they call island roads!
Are they going to put a roof over the Wight Mouse? That establishment can be seen for miles , you can’t expect everyone to walk around in the dark and fog!
100% Agree. The excessive lighting from the Clarendon is a blight on the AONB. A shame, as it is a nice place to go with the family.
I find this a little strange and akin to the Newport City status bid.
The award is aimed at national parks across the globe, which are peaceful remote places without man-made contamination. There are even strict conditions on light emitted by campers when they visit.
However, if they someone get it, at least it may protect the area from future building.
Please please dim our terrible harsh and invasive street lighting.
Good luck with the dark skies, we get so much light pollution from Southampton reflecting off the slightest cloud cover as to be artificial twilight in totland some times.
From my bedroom window in Freshwater, I have a great view of the sky in one direction but to the other it is totally blanked out by the external lighting and glare from the GP Surgery and Swimming Pool. People and organisations, other than the council will need to take action to achieve this status. Will they?
When I was a boy street lamps used to go out at 11.00pm, why don’t they do that now.
someone needs to turn the lights off at store-it shanklin
i can see there lights three streets away. they are on from dawn to dusk and know one in the building or carpark
Will the visitors attempting to find there way to the Dark Skies Area not need lights in order to find it? And, if so will these lights not distract those viewing?
It’s my experiance that the best place to view the night sky is from a boat at sea.
Can’t see feck all with the street lights we have now, make them any dimmer they won’t be worth having.