Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 1 November (HL2418), what is their assessment of the role of lighting levels and the preservation of the night sky in new housing developments.

Artificial light provides valuable benefits to society, including through extending opportunities for sport and recreation, and can be essential to a new development. Equally, artificial light is not always necessary, has the potential to become what is termed ‘light pollution’ or ‘obtrusive light’ and not all modern lighting is suitable in all locations.

The National Planning Policy Framework expects the planning system to contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment. The Government is clear that planning decisions should limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light on local amenity, intrinsically dark landscapes and nature conservation. The Framework must be taken into account when preparing a Local Plan and is a material consideration in planning decisions.