‘Turn out the lights - we can’t see the stars’

MILLIONS of people tuning in to the BBC’s Stargazing Live inspired a Baginton man to ask the authorities to dim the lights.

Inspired by the village of Dulverton in Somerset, which turned off its lighting for a night to reveal the heavens in all their glory, Gary Colville has asked Warwickshire County Council and Warwick District Council to invest in street lights that don’t drown the sky in an orange haze. Mr Colville first looked at the stars through a telescope 30 years ago, and says that by counting the stars he can see in Orion, he knows light pollution has worsened.

He said: “On a good night people can come and look at Jupiter and its four moons and Mars, but you’re not going to be able to see the haze around the Orion nebula. We used to be able to see the Milky Way, but you can’t any more.

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“It’s not just Baginton. There is a big haze around the lights in every town and village.

Modern street lamps are controlled by sensors, but Mr Colville, who is chairman of Baginton Neighbourhood Watch, said there are now bulbs that shine only downwards, saving energy and there need be no conflict with security.

He added: “It would be so nice to be able to say to young kids ‘just look up’. They shouldn’t have to use the internet to look at the stars.”

A Warwickshire County Council spokeswoman said modern lanterns used by the council have controlled output and most have zero degree upward light but older lamps and sodium lanterns such as those in Coventry Road have little or no control, adding that unfortunately replacing them would be extremely costly and only takes place when a unit fails or is upgraded.

A Warwick Distirict Council spokeswoman said the authority would ensure new lighting was environmentally sensitive, but there were no funds for extensive replacements.