Powys: Street lights off in Wales' first dark sky community

A town and nearby village has been announced as Wales' first dark sky community.

It means the street lighting in Presteigne and Norton in Powys will turn off earlier or dim to reduce light pollution.

Supporters say it will allow residents to get an exceptional and clear view of the stars in the night sky.

Residents in the area have been working towards this goal for the past six years.

The area has now been designated an international dark sky community by the organisation DarkSky International.

"The community has worked tenaciously over the last six years to highlight the benefits of becoming a dark sky community", said the area's dark skies community leader, Leigh-Harling Bowen.

Residents saw the potential early on and turned off light in their homes and businesses.

Jay Tate, who works at The Spaceguard Centre observatory in nearby Knighton said the change meant he was able to do "much more" in his work.

"There was a certain amount of resistance at the beginning because it's new… there was a bit of concern about whether it was safe," he said.

"People thought we'd just switch the lights off, but once the situation's explained… everybody's more than happy," he added.

He said the change made his job, which includes scanning the night sky for asteroids and comets, "much easier".

About half of the street lights in the area have been programmed to switch off and the rest have been pre-set to half their intensity after midnight.

The dark sky community covers an area of 40 sq km (15 sq m) and a combined population of 2,700 live there.

Beverley Baynham, mayor of Presteigne and Norton, said: "For the layperson, for anyone walking in the community, you probably don't actually notice the difference.

"It's just lit in a more intelligent way… so there's no concerns, no worries about safety. It's better for the light pollution, it's better for the environment, but it's also better for our community."

She called being the first in Wales "a wonderful achievement for such a small community".

There is also another bonus, wildlife - birds, bats and insects have returned to the communities at night.

Similar schemes may now be rolled out across Powys, and some would like to see Wales become the first dark skies nation.

Amber Harrison, dark sky programme manager, said: "Being dark sky-friendly doesn't mean turning out the lights.

"The approach taken to retrofit lighting using adaptive technology is unique among dark sky places," she said.

"I am excited to see how this will influence others in the future."