Battle Continues Over 'Too Bright' Lights

Locals say they breach guidelines for obtrusive lighting

Chiswick residents are continuing their fight against the controversial street lights taking the story to the national media. One local man has claimed his research shows the brightness is exceeding guidance levels on obtrusive lights.

Last week the BBC and the Daily Mail covered the story as residents in a number of streets showed how the bright lights keep them awake at night shining through blinds and curtains. LBH lead member Colin Ellar was also interviewed on the matter.

Riverview Grove

Cllr Ellar has said that the priority with street lighting is security and road safety. However several residents have told chiswickw4.com that they feel increasingly frustrated as they feel the Council is doing nothing to help them despite numerous complaints.

Local resident Russell Pearson has claimed that the Council did not carry out enough investigation into providing alternative and greener street lights and instead chose the Philips Stela light to be introduced in Chiswick by Hounslow Highways.

"We were provided with a one-size fits all floodlight, when there were so many more suitable and greener alternatives from the same manufacturer Philips."

He added; "The lights here intrude by up casting an arc of light that extends some 30m+ from the light posts and shines right the way through front windows and into the back of some houses - mine included.

"It’s also becoming clear that other councils design their lighting plans to suit the various locales. By putting 21st century lights in the same places as pre-war light posts stood, with Philips Stela luminaries throughout, it’s clear that Hounslow Highways have done none of this.

An example of the bright street lights shining through a window

"They’re exceeding the published guidance levels on the amount of obtrusive light entering windows by a considerable margin. A director from the Institute of Lighting Professionals - a key professional body and advisory to the BSI, measured the light intrusion in Grove Park last night and found it exceeded the limits by a very high factor.

"Light intrusion through windows in suburban areas at night should be less than 2 Lux, it is many many times this level in the places we measured with the new lights." Guidelines can be read at:

www.theilp.org.uk/documents/obtrusive-light/

Park Road

The Chairman of the Grove Park Group, Andy Murray, says that the latest edition of Hounslow Highways bulletin states there were 41 complaints in Chiswick last month, a 100% increase on the previous month. He says the level of complaints is more likely to be in the hundreds dating back to the introduction of the street lights.

Local resident Andy Richards said the lights were like "prison lights" and he and his wife have found it impossible to sleep as they cannot block the lights out- see below. Other residents have reported blocking up venetian blinds with tape in a bid to keep the light out.

Hounslow Highways has said the LED street lights have received a varied response with some residents finding them too bright while others believe they are too dim. They are now half-way through the replacement programme and say that to esure a "fair assessment" of residents' concerns, they are allowing time for people to become accustomed to the lights.

They have been recording requests by individual residents to change lighting levels on specific roads so that a list of priority locations can be agreed with the Council.

April 11, 2014