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LIGHTING & ELECTRICALS
LET THERE BE LIGHT
As the government continues to push housing delivery through the reclassification of green belt land, developers are increasingly working in the ‘grey belt’. But building in these ecologically sensitive, edge-zones means external lighting design is no longer just about visibility. So what do housebuilders and developers need to consider? Nathan Allen, Associate Environmental Consultant and head of the lighting team at MEC Consulting Group, shares his insight…
18 September Professional Housebuilder & Property Developer
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ypically, grey belt sites sit alongside open countryside or designated landscapes, meaning there is a high risk of encountering lightsensitive species such as bats, dormice or badgers. However, because of proximity to previously developed land, it’s easy to fall into the trap of treating grey belt schemes as purely suburban in character. Don’t be misguided, these sites often require greater ecological scrutiny when it comes to external lighting design. So where to start? One of the first considerations is colour temperature and light intensity. Warmer-coloured lights, typically under 2,700 Kelvin, are much less disruptive to nocturnal species, mainly through the reduction in blue wave-length light. However, it’s important to note that for street lighting, local authority highways teams will often not adopt fittings with a colour temperature below 4,000K. This creates an imbalance between ecological best practice and adoptable standards, so early consideration of local highway specifications is advisable. Although there is some guidance around assessing lighting impacts on grey belt land, much of it remains open to interpretation. In most cases, unless the site falls within a designated dark skies area, assessments typically align with Environmental Zone 2 (E2), which reflects semi-rural conditions. However, we’ve seen cases where lighting consultants have reasonably
classified a site, such as a village conversion, as E2, only for Environmental Health Officers (EHO) to argue for Environmental Zone 1 (E1), a far stricter designation typically reserved for truly rural or dark sky locations. This discrepancy can significantly affect lighting specifications, including placement, intensity, and acceptable luminaire types. To avoid unnecessary restrictions, developers are advised to prepare a robust case for E2 or even E3 classification, in collaboration with lighting consultants and ecologists. Getting this balance right early is crucial to navigating the overlap between technical viability and ecological sensitivity.
New trends As more developments are brought forward under the updated NPPF, we’re finding planners are paying closer attention to cumulative lighting impacts, particularly in fringe and transition zones. One noticeable shift is the rise of planning conditions related to private external lighting. Decorative up/down lighters, garage-mounted floodlights, and internal light spill are now common planning considerations, especially near foraging routes for species like greater horseshoe