§ 30. Mr. Sydney Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy concerning the type, design and size of street lighting standards where lighting is deemed to be necessary in conservation areas.
§ Mr. SpeedNo hard and fast rules can be laid down. Each conservation area has its own character and what is suitable in one place may not be in another. The guidance I propose to issue to lighting authorities and to which I referred in the answer I gave to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, East (Sir D. Walker-Smith) on 26th April will also give these authorities greater flexibility in their choice of lighting standards in conservation areas.—[Vol. 835, c. 284.]
§ Mr. ChapmanI am grateful for that reply. Does my hon. Friend agree that the purpose and beauty of many conservation areas are being utterly destroyed by the municipal monstrosities of street lighting which are out of all scale with the character and sympathy of such 446 areas? Will he seriously consider getting out a code of practice from the Department whereby local authorities should at least take into account environmental considerations as well as technical consequences?
§ Mr. SpeedIn a week or two a circular will be issued and my hon. Friend will then see that we have taken this point very much into account. It will represent a great step forward in improving lighting standards in these sensitive areas.