Residents say "let there be less light"
SUPER bright street lights on roads in Dalfaber, Aviemore have proved to be a nightmare for some local residents.
One light glares straight into an upstairs window on Corrour Road and as the home owner Alice Martin has a tree in front of her window when the winds blow she suffers a constant flashing light like "Morse Code" signalling.
Other lights on eight metre high poles shed much more light than is necessary, it is claimed.
As well as a bright light on the approach to the golf course there are several on the corner of Corrour Road and Dalfaber Drive. They were introduced following road realignments over a year ago.
The problem was highlighted at the local Ward Forum Meeting held at Dulnain Bridge Community Hall on Wednesday (October 26) at which Highland Council Works Manager John Taylor gave a talk on the work of TEC services. This included information about the council’s policy on street lighting.
Alice Martin said: "It’s like receiving Morse Code when the wind blows. The lights are just too bright and poorly sighted. There was nothing wrong with the old lights.
"These new lights are totally inappropriate for a quiet residential side street especially when one of them mostly illuminates the road to the golf course which no one uses in the dark.
"This corner of Dalfaber is better lit than, the much busier, Grampian Road and better lit than some football pitches. Possibly Highland Council could trial one of their energy saving ideas and dim them or even better switch some of them off completely."
Bill Lobban, vice-chairman of Aviemore Community Council said: "Bearing in mind the fact that the only increase in traffic at these junctions is due to traffic from the golf course and that to the best of my knowledge no one plays golf at night what was the point of making the developer go to the additional expense of these larger lamp posts?
"The previous type was perfectly adequate and more importantly perfectly in keeping with the existing lighting in the remainder of Corrour Road. Has no one in Highland Council heard of light pollution?"
A Highland Council spokesperson said: "The new street lighting was installed when the junction was altered at the entrance to the Golf Course in August 2010. These works affected the existing street lighting plant on Dalfabour Drive and Corrour Road. Two of the existing columns were removed on Corrour Road and replaced with 8 metre columns to accommodate the new wider junction. Had we installed smaller columns here it would have taken more of them to provide the same level of lighting – so this was the most efficient approach in terms of energy and ongoing maintenance costs.
"If there an issue with light spill onto a resident’s window, a baffle can be installed on the lantern – which should effectively deal with this issue. Subsequent to the new columns being installed there have been 3 instances recorded where the door has been removed and the fuse stolen by persons unknown – effectively switching the light off."
