Daniel James from the Isle of Wight Green Party shares details of a briefing document on LED lighting. Ed
Following the Island Roads PFI roll-out of over 12,000 new LED street lights, the Isle of Wight Green Party has produced a free two-page PDF briefing for communities on the mainland and beyond. This document advises councillors and community activists to scrutinise proposed street lighting replacements with care.
Inadequate lighting
Island residents complain that some LED fittings have too narrow a beam, so that certain streets now alternate between being over-lit directly beneath the lamp-post, and darkness between.
With the introduction of LEDs, the colour of the artificial light has changed from a warm orange-white to a cool blue-white which mimics daylight, affecting human and animal circadian rhythms. Blue-rich light can also affect the view of the night sky, which many Islanders treasure.
Inappropriate technology
The Isle of Wight Green Party believes the PFI, which local people have little democratic oversight of, has deployed inappropriate technology.
It expresses regret that the Philips ‘Luma’ and ‘Stela’ LED lights as fitted cannot be replaced now, without great expense and waste.
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For more information, please contact [email protected]
Image: © Darren Vaughan – WightDrone
