§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will remove the absolute requirement for roundabouts to be lit where they are situated in sensitive rural locations. [75101]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 8 March 1999]There is no absolute requirement to light roundabouts. It is for the highway authority to decide whether to light, based on their assessment of the benefits to be gained and the potential adverse environmental impact.
Good design, installation and maintenance practices can do much to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of street lighting. My Department has issued advice on this subject in "Road Lighting and the Environment" and, with the Countryside Commission, has published a guide "Lighting in the Countryside: Towards Good Practice". The Highways Agency's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges contains advice on lighting rural roundabouts, which is to be supplemented following research.