Bright lights from new prison building

dougee19

Probably a lost cause but is there anything that can be done. The neighbouring prison has recently put in these monstrous lights shining right into the bedrooms of many houses on my street.

Who can one go to about this, if anyone?

Atlantic Dawn

Local council would be first port of call, it's possible though that a prison would be exempt from normal regulations. Was the prison there before your house was built? What was the lighting like before this?

dougee19

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Local council would be first port of call, it's possible though that a prison would be exempt from normal regulations. Was the prison there before your house was built? What was the lighting like before this?

Thanks, will go into my local council(once I find it) this week and hopefully they can do something. There was zero lighting at all before this, the building is completely new so there was just a mesh net there and a grand look at the sky. The good times :mad:

No idea about building vs prison history but can ask landlord, their property value just seriously diminished(once they find out) so they will not be too happy either.

antoinolachtnai

I would approach the prison management. I would be surprised if they don't have some sort of liaison officer dealing with issues like this.

They really don't want to be annoying the neighbours if they have any sense.

The_Conductor

Lighting like this is entirely normal for any secure public facilities (doesn't have to be prisons- other secure complexes are very similar). A normal response to a complaint like this- is to suggest the complainee purchase heavy thermal curtains- which coincidentally will block out lights of this nature.

I'm only aware of one incident in an Irish context where such lighting was removed- and replaced with mobile patrols etc- that was the State Laboratory- and the complaint was from 2 local airports who have occasional nighttime flights, often of an emergency nature.

cruizer101

The_Conductor wrote: »

Lighting like this is entirely normal for any secure public facilities (doesn't have to be prisons- other secure complexes are very similar).

Just because something is normal doesn't mean it is right, I'd be rightly pissed at those lights going up.

Yes there is a need for the area to be lit but not for the OP bedroom (presumably upper floor) windows to be lit, this is light trespass.

http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightinganswers/lightpollution/lightPollution.asp


The link and diagram show the problem here, someone just came along and installed a big floodlight without any design considerations. There is no reason they couldn't install lighting that will appropriately light the area that needs to be without lighting up the surrounding area excessively.

Poochie05

I wonder how often design of flood lighting is ignored, is this something that should be enforced through planning? There are security lights for building sites lighting up the hillside with no regard to where they are shining and many's the time I have come upon night time roadworks where the flood lighting is dazzling the drivers.

Mrs OBumble

Check their planning permission.

The_Conductor

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Check their planning permission.

In all Ireland all defence related developments, Garda developments, courthouses, and prisons are exempt from planning permission and/or restrictions. In practice- models are made and put on view for public comment in an easily accesible public building- normally the local authority office, a large public library and/or a District Garda HQ.

I'd be more interested to know whether or not the OP was aware of the imminent construction of the facility when they moved to the area- and why they didn't plan accordingly.

rawn

The_Conductor wrote:

I'd be more interested to know whether or not the OP was aware of the imminent construction of the facility when they moved to the area- and why they didn't plan accordingly.

How do you plan against these kind of lights shining in you window?

The_Conductor

rawn wrote: »

How do you plan against these kind of lights shining in you window?

Buy black out blinds?
Its almost inevitable that a prison will have lights like this.

ohnonotgmail

The_Conductor wrote: »

Buy black out blinds?
Its almost inevitable that a prison will have lights like this.

It is not inevitable that they will be shining into a second floor window. there is no need for them to do that. The OP should complain to the prison and see what they say.

asteroids over berlin

wow i find this completely nuts and ignorant, surely they must have some sort of regulation/obliged to consider neighbouring properties particularly residential.

Michael D Not Higgins

asteroids over berlin wrote: »

wow i find this completely nuts and ignorant, surely they must have some sort of regulation/obliged to consider neighbouring properties particularly residential.

Currently no, there's no legislation covering light pollution in Ireland. The best you can do is engage with the owners of the lights and/or the council to seek a solution.

antoinolachtnai

The more I look at it the more I think they will engage with you.

One thing you could offer is that they are welcome to put lighting shining into the complex from their side of your back wall. That would ensure the open space would be adequately lit after the lights have been adjusted.

donegal.

maybe you could ask them to build a wall around their facility ?

The_Conductor

donegal. wrote: »

maybe you could ask them to build a wall around their facility ?

Its a prison- presumably it has high walls etc- as it would obviously need to have both internal and external exercise yards for inmates etc.
The presence of walls- also explains why the light is visible in second and higher floor windows of nearby properties.