Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations

Forward Plan Ref: 2024/299

Contact: Matt Archer, Portfolio Manager: Central Programme Delivery (Matt.Archer@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

Report by Director of Environment and Highways (CMDDLC5).

The Deputy Leader is RECOMMENDED to:

a)    Approve the proposed Highway Street Lighting Profiles, specifically with regard to operational hours and illumination levels as set out in this paper.

The Chair invited public speakers to address the meeting and responded to their points in turn.

Officers acknowledged the failings of the report, thanked all contributors for their comments and committed to take onboard comments that had been made. Continuing, it was noted that the policy agreed in 2022 would also have been refreshed, along with the report before the meeting as they were interlinked, rather than isolated, papers.

The Chair noted the supporting parts of the policy were not all put together and also confirmed that officers did work with Thames Valley Police on the framework of the proposals.

The Chair highlighted that the reasons for switching off lights was to avoid waste of lights being on that didn’t need to be, and that persistent night lighting causes public health impacts to sleep, as well being toxic to wildlife.

It was noted that the paper was flawed for what it did not say. The Chair confirmed that there was no intention for this to go ahead in Oxford City or for a cumulative ‘big switch-off’ at the same time as it was a National Grid function. It would be done to communities where they wanted it to happen.

The Chair noted that contributions at the meeting had reaffirmed the case-by-case approach that was needed, and that the countryside would be the appropriate place to start, rather than in urban areas.

The Chair noted that 55% of Councils have some type of Dark Skies policy.  

The Chair accepted that the Equalities Impact Assessment was not up to standard.

The Chair noted the implications for crime, both positively and negatively, for having street lights on in areas and stated that the Council would work with the police moving forward.

The Chair thanked all speakers for their contributions and agreed to defer the recommendations in the report.

RESOLVED to:

Defer the recommendations below:

a) Approve the proposed Highway Street Lighting Profiles, specifically with regard to operational hours and illumination levels as set out in this paper.