Lights on, 24 hours a day.

[bronzepig]

Mini rant incoming.

I live opposite some kind of workspace building (i.e., freelancers/companies will pay to use their space for meetings etc). It looks really nice, has a gym, patio, roof terrace etc.

Except it remains fully lit up, 24 hours a day. This annoys me for multiple reasons - environmental, the cost, impact on wildlife (it's next to a nature reserve), and not least because it means my bedroom is illuminated by it. I have blackout curtains, but the light creeps in through the gaps. I rent my apartment, so don't really want to wrangle with landlord in an attempt to sort out blinds or something that would be better at keeping out the light.

Since MAY I have been in a polite email exchange with someone from the company, where first they said it wasn't their building, then they said it was sorted, then they said some lights had been sorted and others not.....

They say the lights are programmed to go off at 10:30pm - fine by me. But this means I need to wait up til 10:30pm, leave my apartment, and take photos of the bloody thing everytime I have to update them and say yes, the lights are still on.

It gives me such rage because there's no benefits to keeping the lights on (residential so can't even claim it's good advertising) and yet they seem totally un-proactive in sorting it out despite how much money it must be costing them!

They say the lights are programmed to go off at 10:30pm - fine by me. But this means I need to wait up til 10:30pm, leave my apartment, and take photos of the bloody thing everytime I have to update them and say yes, the lights are still on wouldn't you be up anyway if they are causing a problem?

Weird! Would your local paper be interested, given mine is full of what lighting etc.the council/charities will no longer be providing given the cost of electricity? Shame them into sorting themselves out?

Yes but OP might not want to go trapsying out to take the pictures!

The lights have been on 24 hours a day since I moved in - I definitely haven't been up all that time

What happens is I get an email saying, yup we've sorted it. I have to then get a photo of the building lit up at 10:30pm to demonstrated, nope definitely not sorted.

I could do it from my bedroom window, but it's not immediately obvious it's their building, whereas they can't really deny it when it's go their front door sign in the picture!

*demonstrate

Ah I see. Can you call the council

Yes they probably would!

I'm just aware that it's an independent business so don't really want to potentially cause problems for them and all the staff they've hired.

I've stumbled upon a recent social media post where they talk about all their green solutions - including the fact that all lights turn off after one hour inactivity...

Twitter can be good for this stuff

Good shout - I think I'll do one last email and if no decent response go via twitter.

Why so scrupulous? - they don;t give a shit about the problems they are causing you.

They are green-washing hypocrites & liars. I'd be posting on their recent media to point out that their one-hour claim is bullshit. Also going to the council, ringing the company's MD, & escalating to local news if no joy.

Can you not just put up some blackout curtains? Don't think id have the time or energy to give this so much headspace let alone be outside at night taking pictures!

Yes I teeter inbetween thinking sod it, and then getting quite annoyed!

As I said, I have blackout curtains, but the light creeps in. I rent so don't really want to wrangle with my landlord re: putting up blinds which would probably be more effective.

But that's not really the issue anymore as I'm kind of used to it - we're in the midst of an energy crisis. The building is lit up 24 hours a day. It's terrible for the environment & for the nature reserve next to it. It also irritates me that the company are presumably pouring hundreds down the drain for no good reason.

This is whilst they're posting on SM about how they're a green company which includes having lights that automatically turn off so as not to waste electricity.

Can you just pop over there during the day and ask to speak to the person responsible for the building facilities? Seeing as the person you're emailing has been so useless.

Why do you have to leave your apartment to take photos?

Surely you can take a photo through the window that the light gets through?

@Mummieslncorporated
RTFT it's only 15 long, OP already answered this

So you could report to LBC for light pollution - as leaving industrial buildings brightly lit up all night in residential area might be a nuisance issue

Also yes Twitter that photo of place lit up at 11pm saying "no you don't local people have been complaining to you about wastage and light nuisance where your buildings are lit up 24 hours a day..."

I don’t think the council will care, I’m afraid.

I suppose they have set a timer but someone is manually overriding it. If it was set for earlier I suppose that would help, as you could tell if it’s worked a bit earlier on, so maybe suggest that.
I can see it must be annoying.

Are there people in the building overnight? Security, cleaners, maintenance etc? The lights might be programmed to go off but are being turned back on by someone, or on a motion detector. Or they’re just being annoying. Pop over during the day and ask to speak the building manager or head of facilities.

@SheWoreYellow

I disagree and it won't hurt OP to send in complaint to his her local council .
there's relevant legislation about it , (unreasonable / causing impact on health etc) commercial light can be considered a statutory nuisance under Environmental Protection Act 1990

www.gov.uk/guidance/artificial-light-nuisances-how-councils-deal-with-complaints#what-can-cause-artificial-light-nuisances

Well, worth an email but I wouldn’t hold your breath. Our council has bigger issues to deal with. It’s obviously a problem, but our council wouldn’t prioritise it (at a guess).

Who owns / runs the nature reserve? Can you contact them make them aware?

Complain to the local council and explain the situation, that you have tried to sort this issue out for yourself by contacting named person.

You will be given a reference number.

Every single time email the company and the council the pictures along with the reference number. The company will see you mean buisness when they see the council are also getting contacted.

Talk to neighbours and find out if they are also having issues. Chances they are and also being fobbed off. Encourage them to also report ti the la along with evidence.

I live in a road that one side is residential and the other side business. Over the past few years those businesses have become a total pain in the arse with various noise and light pollution issues.

It was very slow going in the beginning and lots of denials from the various companies/buildings. However once the council got involved the issues are quickly rectified because of legal action and/or potential fines of up to 5k.

I'm pretty sure that the fact that op has been complaining and sending photos already will mean that they know what building she's referring to...

It's an expense but you could add one of those travel blackout screens (intended for toddlers) under blackout curtains and then you're not adding anything permanently.