Dales holiday park to reduce lighting to keep skies dark - Richmondshire Today

Oct 22, 2024

The intensity of the lighting along the internal roads at Aysgarth Lodge Holidays near West Burton must be reduced, it was agreed at the meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s planning committee on Tuesday.

The committee was told that the 6,000K bulbs in the 49 bollards did not comply with the authority’s Dark Skies Initiative.

It approved a retrospective application which specified that these will be replaced with 2,700K and 470 lumens bulbs with ‘warm white’ colour.

The owner of the site Aysgarth Lodge Holidays was given a month to comply.

The planning officer commented: “This would mean that the new bulbs would be in place for most of the winter 2024/25 and thereafter.”

He said this would be a significant improvement on the existing situation.

Burton-cum-Walden Parish Council said in its response to the application: “The council remains concerned about light pollution, particularly as we have supported the Dark Skies Initiative, but we will review the situation when the proposals are implemented.”

It suggested that the bollard lights should be switched off from 11pm to 6am each night was accepted by the committee and included in the conditions of the approval.

North Yorkshire councillor Yvonne Peacock approved of the application but told the committee that the bright light emanating from the holiday site had caused a lot of concern.

Cllr Peacock emphasised the need for screening as the lights from the site were visible from the B6160 near West Burton and also from the A684 when approaching Aysgarth from Hestholme Bridge.

She asked that previous planning conditions regarding screening should be checked.

Cllr Graham Simpkins (Westmorland and Furness Council), however, was opposed to any bollard lighting.

He said: “I think we are failing in our duty.

“We are supposed to be protecting the Dales by protecting the countryside and the wildlife. If you want something that is illuminated to this extent go to Pontins or Butlins or somewhere.

“You don’t come to the Dales. What about the kids who want to see our dark skies? Do they have to stop up to midnight to be able to see it? I think it’s a total failure. Bring a torch!

“I’ve got villages in my constituency that don’t have [street] lights and have dark skies and they love it. In that way the wildlife isn’t confused and we can see the dark skies. [This] will be visible from somewhere and it doesn’t look like the Yorkshire Dales when it’s all illuminated.

“People come to the Dales to see countryside and wildlife, not to see an illuminated park.”

The approved application included the use of land for the siting of a caravan to serve as the holiday park reception and office.

ARC News Service