Manningtree station lights brighter than entire town, campaigners say

Astronomer Mike Barrett said there was "a forest of lights" and when they were on, it was "as bright as daylight"

New car park lighting at a railway station, which is "as bright as daylight", is causing more light pollution than the whole of the town it serves combined, campaigners have said.

The Dedham Vale Society wants Tendring District Council to take action against rail operator Greater Anglia over the new lights at Manningtree in Essex.

The council said the case was "complex" and an enforcement process was ongoing.

The rail firm said there had been no "formal complaints" about the lights.

The society said research by local astronomer Mike Barrett, from Polstead in Suffolk, showed the station car park development emitted two or three times more light pollution than the whole of Manningtree.

They said there were also three times too many lights in the car park than were required.

The group said the lighting could be seen from "at least a mile away"

Mr Barrett said there was "a forest of lights" and when they were on, it was "as bright as daylight".

"There is no need for it at all, especially when there is nobody around," he added.

The group, which aims to protect and conserve the area of outstanding natural beauty on the border between Essex and Suffolk, said the lighting could be seen "at least a mile away".

It said the tall columns should be replaced with bollard lighting that was "appropriate to an ecologically-sensitive area".

The group has also campaigned against a wall at the station, which chairman Charles Clover said was also an "eyesore".

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Greater Anglia said the car park lighting was installed to railway standards and was "fully compliant" with the secure station accreditation.

"It is fitted with LED lighting which uses less energy and helps to reduce the impact on the environment," a representative said.

"We have not received any formal complaints about the lighting in the car park and would encourage anyone with concerns to contact us direct," they added.

Mr Barrett said there was "no need for it at all, especially when there is nobody around"

The council said its "legal position" and the "range of next steps available" to the site owners was "clear".

"Enforcement is a process, not any one specific action, and we continue to discuss the options with the owners to enable a final decision on next reasonable steps to take place," a representative said.

They added that it would be "inappropriate to comment further while this process is ongoing".