Councils pressed on light pollution

Street lights are clearly visible from the International Space Station (Image by Nasa)

The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) in the South West is calling for more action to combat light pollution.

The CPRE says aspects of rural life, such as opportunities to see stars in the sky in the countryside at night, are disappearing fast because of careless, wasteful use of outdoor light.

It wants to see local authorities implement stricter controls.

Devon County Council has already won an award for its efforts for a street lighting scheme in Dartmouth which tackles this.

Achieving safety

But Wendy Luckley from the CPRE said there was still more that could be done.

She said: "In the next couple of years the local transport plans will be being reviewed.

"We would like to see really solid targets for improving lighting and we can achieve safety and stop light pollution at the same time."

Researchers have found that during the 1990s the area of UK countryside with pure dark skies was reduced by 27%.

Last month, the CPRE joined with the British Astronomical Association in its Night Blight campaign to try and combat light pollution.