Streetlight upgrade to help protect dark skies

The Aurora Borealis - or Northern Lights - pictured over Sandsend in the North York Moors National Park

North Yorkshire's internationally recognised dark skies will be better protected by a £4m plan to upgrade thousands of streetlights, councillors have said.

The three-year project will see 4,500 soon-to-be obsolete lights replaced by LED bulbs, half of which will be set to switch on at dusk and off at midnight.

Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council's executive member for highways and transport, said the upgrade would save about £300,000 in energy costs a year as well as reducing light pollution.

"By introducing warm white LED lighting and switching them off at a time when they're not required, we can help create a clearer view of the night sky, brimming with stars, as well as support our vital nocturnal wildlife across North Yorkshire," he said.

A spokesperson for the council said the work would start later this month.

"Replacing all non-LED lights, and implementing part-night lighting in both the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks support their International Dark Sky Reserve status and requirements for colour temperature, helping to create a clearer view of the night sky," they said.

Semerwater, Wensleydale, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Derek Twine, who chairs the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, welcomed the council's work to protect dark skies in both North Yorkshire's national parks.

"By reducing light pollution across the county, it helps to give us a better view of the sky at night as well as supporting our nocturnal wildlife," he added.

Mike Hawtin, head of nature recovery projects for North York Moors National Park, said: "Protecting access to our precious starry skies benefits our rural economy, protects our culture and tranquillity and plays an important part in conserving important nocturnal habitats."

The councils said residents on the streets affected would be sent a leaflet before the work started.

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