Light Pollution
Received: 28 January 2025
Environmental Information Regulations 2004 Request for InformationRe:INVESTIGATIONS INTO LIGHT NUISANCE COMPLAINTS a)I would like to know - since 2018 up until today - how many court cases have been raised that include an ABATEMENT NOTICE OF LIGHT NUISANCE (INCLUDING LIGHT POLLUTION, TRESPASS, AND LIGHT RISK TO THE HEALTH of the public) listed by local authorities and DEFRA (or UK Gov) as plaintiffs. Please can I have the dates, names of plaintiffs and the case results. b) Can you offer the number of complaints about light pollution/nuisance both private and statutory investigated by your environmental health team? (These should be under the legislation related to UK Gov website: 'Councils must look into complaints about artificial light from premises if the light could be classed as a 'statutory nuisance' (covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990' (downloaded 28 1 2024 from www.gov.uk) but relate to residential premises only.c) in light nuisance complaint investigations do environmental officers collect medical or health information from complainants that might indicate a risk of health hazard or linked health deterioration, as a part of the assessment?e) one environmental health officer informed me that they knew what a judge would consider as statutory light nuisance was evidence that light entered the bedrooms (habitable rooms) such that it created strong shadows on the ceiling and walls of the furthest walls of the bedroom and the officers could write notes by the intensity of the light. Is this a common test for light nuisance (statutory and private) in your department's delivery?If so, can you cite the caselaw that it may relate to or the judge's name or its origin? f) on site visits do your officers take video and photographs of the area around the property, called the premises?g) do officers discount any light shone into and one the premises that is a garden or drive or exterior to the habitable rooms or is this included in the assessment of statutory light nuisance?h) does the council have any process of appeal to the decision around assessment of statutory nuisance, (so that the complainant can gather more evidence or other residents' complaints)?i) does your antisocial team consider light nuisance as antisocial behaviour or does the council exclude light as a form of harassment/anti-social behaviour?j) does the council offer any guidance on taking private litigation steps when and if the council does not see a statutory nuisance on a site visit?k) The following is quoted from 'The Neglected Pollutants: The Effects of Artificial Light and Noise on Human Health,(2022-23) by The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee examining the effects of artificial light and noise on human health downloaded 27 1 2024 from The neglected pollutants: the effects of artificial light and noise on human healthWith regard to the call for research in this context: Has any research on light and the adverse effect on human health been offered to your complainants to participate in, or to the council to offer residents to participate in since 2006 up to today? If so can you provide the name of the research lead organisation, address and contact number/email please?
Outcome / Documents
- Response (all information to be supplied) - application/pdf - Download