“That this Strategic Policy Committee initiate a process including consultation with the public, stakeholders and experts, considering any existing reviews of best practice, to make a policy on artificial light in the environment, in order to inform both the development and maintenance of lighting by the Council and the regulation of lighting in the planning process, which would take account of biodiversity impacts, energy efficiency, amenity, safety and technological innovation.” 

The motion, in the name of Councillor D. Healy was proposed by D. Healy and seconded by Councillor J. Newman.

Report:

Fingal County Council Public Lighting follow best practice in all our operations and requirements through our training, membership of a professional lighting body, and our interactions with other local authorities, lighting professionals, and manufacturers.  

We regularly liaise with colleagues in the public lighting sections of other local authorities, especially Dublin City Council (DCC), South Dublin County Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, and Cork City Council, to collaborate and share information on public lighting matters and projects undertaken in each county. These four councils along with Fingal, comprise the five local authorities with the largest public lighting stocks in the country and the only councils with dedicated public lighting divisions. Fingal County Council Public Lighting are second only to DCC in terms of the number of public lights we maintain. 

We are members of the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP), and regularly attend seminars and conferences on lighting, as well as training on the software used in the industry, when there are changes to the relevant standards or National Rules for Electrical Installations, or when new technologies in exterior lighting emerge. We also regularly engage with other lighting professionals including consultants and manufacturers, to discuss changes in technology or issues encountered. In addition, all engineers and inspectors in Public Lighting undertake the Exterior Lighting Technology Diploma course run by the ILP.   

All exterior lighting schemes installed within the council area are required to comply with the requirements and specifications of the Public Lighting section. In addition they must adhere to the council’s policies and strategy documents such as: The Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029; The Fingal County Council Corporate Plan 2025-2029; The Fingal County Council Climate Action Plan 2024-2029; and Forest of Fingal – A tree strategy for Fingal; with regards to energy use and climate change, minimising obtrusive light (i.e. light spill and light pollution), as well as protecting and promoting the environment, biodiversity, and the unique urban, rural and coastal areas of the county.  

The recommendations stated in the relevant guidance notes and technical reports published by professional lighting institutions like the ILP, on topics such as reducing obtrusive light or lighting in environmentally sensitive areas, also need to be taken into account in all lighting designs.  

The Public Lighting General Specification sets out the standards that public lighting schemes and their associated electrical installations, within Fingal County Council, must comply with, as well as detailing the types of equipment that are acceptable. This document also lays out the procedures to be followed and the documentation to be provided, at design, construction, and completion stages, to get a lighting scheme approved, connected, and potentially taken in charge. 

There is also a requirement that all lighting schemes are designed and installed to be the most energy efficient while achieving the required lighting levels.  

With regards to reducing obtrusive light, to ensure there is minimal obtrusive light from any lighting scheme installed in the county, Public Lighting require that designers of all lighting scheme need to ensure there is no upward light, with all lights mounted at zero degree tilt, parallel to the ground., and that they take account of the recommendations stated in Guidance Note GN01/21 – The Reduction of Obtrusive Light, published by the Institution of Lighting Professionals, in the lighting design. This includes ensuring the lighting scheme is appropriate to the relevant environmental zone and providing additional lighting calculation reports specifically for obtrusive light. The Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029 acknowledges that “At present there are no Irish Guidelines in relation to the control of light pollution”. However, it does refer to the contents of GN01 and requires all new lighting schemes to be designed to the appropriate environmental zone and meet all council standards. 

In environmentally sensitive areas, such as where bats are present, additional restrictions are required on a lighting scheme, and the recommendations stated in Guidance Note GN08/23 – Bats and Artificial Lighting at Night, published by the Institution of Lighting Professionals and the Bat Conservation Trust UK, must be included in any design.  

The Public Lighting General Specification is also part of the council’s Taking in Charge Policy and Specification.  

All developments must be constructed to the Council’s Taking in Charge (TIC) Standards, regardless of whether they are offered for TIC or not. This is also stated in Section 14.9.6 Taking in Charge and Management Companies, of the Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029. 

All developments with a public lighting element are reviewed against all the above requirements and policy documents throughout the planning process (application, compliance, construction, and completion stages).  

The Public Lighting General Specification document is kept under constant review, and is updated when there are changes to lighting standards, electrical standards, ESB requirements, Fingal policy documents, or the requirements of the Public Lighting section.  

The Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029 includes several policies and objectives surrounding lighting and avoiding/minimising any adverse impacts of lighting and obtrusive light on sensitive habitats, improving energy efficiency, and reducing carbon emissions. Chapter 11 Infrastructure and Utilities, with particular reference to Section 11.9 Air, Noise, Light Policies and Objectives, and Section 11.9.3 Light, sets out the policies and objectives around light pollution, the design of lighting schemes and lighting new developments. Chapter 14 Development Management Standards, with particular reference to Section 14.20.18 Light Pollution, sets out the policies and objectives for new lighting schemes to design out light pollution and take account of the appropriate lighting environmental zone in the design. In addition, there are many objectives and policies with regards to lighting in terms of biodiversity and climate change, also stated within the plan:  

To further protect biodiversity in parks or open green spaces, where Public Lighting are requested to provide lighting in such areas, they are considered on a case-by-case basis. The provision of lighting in parks and green spaces is only considered in specific circumstances when certain criteria are met. These criteria include: 

• The path through the green space/park area provides the most direct link between key community services (e.g. between a train station and shopping centre or housing precinct) and does not have sufficient lighting along the key pathway(s) or pedestrian routes. 

• Are there any trees along the path. If there are trees, is there a minimum of seven (7) metres clearance in all directions between the trees and any proposed public lighting infrastructure, as per the Forest of Fingal – A tree strategy for Fingal policy document. 

• The path is not in a woodlands area. 

• There are no alternative well-lit routes in the vicinity.  

All public lighting maintenance and new works undertaken by the Public Lighting section, are carried out by our public lighting contractor in accordance with the terms, and works requirements and specifications, set out in the Public Lighting Maintenance and New Works contract. 

Karen Leeson, Senior Executive Engineer, Public Lighting read the report and following discussions.

The Motion was AGREED.