Report light pollution

Light pollution is best described as excessive artificial light that is causing excessive brightness in your home.

We use the guidance in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to decide what kind of light is a nuisance and the action we can take.

The kind of problems that people usually report to us are about security lights from domestic or commercial premises and floodlighting. We can't deal with reports of light from:

  • train stations
  • bus stations
  • public service vehicles
  • public service vehicle centres, such as police stations or fire stations

What action you can take

If you're having a problem with lights from your neighbour's property you should politely approach them and ask if they can re-angle the light, or use a lower power bulb. It might help if you show your neighbour the effect of the light on your home. They may not be aware of the problem and often this informal approach will resolve the issue.

If the problem continues you can report it to us.

How to report light pollution

Use our online form below to report a light pollution problem to us. In the form you need to tell us:

  • your name and contact details in case we need to contact you (we won't share these with the person or business you're reporting)
  • where the light is coming from
  • what it is
  • when it happens and how long it lasts for
  • how it affects you
  • anything you've done to deal with it 

It would be helpful if you could upload any evidence such as a record of the times the light is a problem, photos or videos with your online form.

If we decide to take legal action we may ask you to provide a statement and attend court as a witness. 

What happens next

When we receive your form we'll use the information you've told us as well as guidance in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to decide if we can look into the matter.

If we decide to investigate, we'll usually write to the person or business to ask them to resolve the problem to avoid any further action. Depending on what you've told us, we may visit the area at the time you've told us the light occurs. 

If we're satisfied that the light is a 'statutory nuisance', we can serve an abatement notice on the person causing the problem. The notice will state what the person must do to reduce the light pollution, and by when.

If they don't comply with the notice we can take legal action. If we decide to prosecute we may ask you to provide a witness statement and attend court. We'll tell you what's involved in this and support you through the process.

Advice if you're installing security lighting

Before going to the expense and effort of installing lights you should consider:

  • if lighting is necessary or whether you could you use other security measures, such as locking a gate or screening an area with a fence
  • installing the right amount of light for the task
  • adjusting lights so they don't shine into neighbouring properties
  • not installing lights that illuminate horizontally