This residential development is set within a relatively dark zone, and has existing external lighting – but more was required as the development expanded to enhance the security of the area. Bird and bat boxes are located nearby, and careful consideration was needed about the methods and equipment used to avoid unnecessary light pollution and to be sensitive to the needs of the local wildlife and environment.
At SKR, we created new lighting design proposals and calculations to limit impact of light pollution from artificial light, with any light spillage kept to 1lux both vertically and horizontally. We worked in partnership with the client, and with ecologist consultant Graeme Smart of GSL Ecology, to realise a simple, practical lighting scheme that gives enough task illumination, security illumination and guidance illumination for the owners, without disrupting the surrounding environments and biodiversity.
With these measures in place, the planning application was approved by the local authority.