Cumbrian MP and Member of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Dark Skies, Tim Farron, asked the Government what it was doing to implement the ten policy recommendations in the APPG’s Report to help tackle the growing problems of light pollution. In her response Defra Minister Rebecca Pow said that: “The Government considers the existing measures are sufficient to manage the problems caused by artificial light and there are no current plans to revise them.”

This is extremely unhelpful and doesn’t reflect the increasing evidence base showing that light pollution is spreading, as are the associated potential impacts on wildlife, people’s health as well as contributing to wasteful energy use and the loss of people’s ability to see our night sky heritage in its full glory.

Friends of the Lake District has written a joint letter to the Minister, together with the insect charity Bug Life, CPRE the Countryside Charity and the Royal Astronomical Society, asking for a meeting with her to see how all the Dark Sky interests can work together with Defra on this urgent and growing problem.

Image: Light pollution - Kendal at night by Stuart Atkinson