The Moorpool Estate is a conservation area which is currently having it's street lighting 'upgraded' by Amey. Complaints and concerns are pouring in ranging from blocked pavements, inappropriate positioning, lamp posts that are too tall and standards that are too bright and anything but heritage.
This blog is to enable residents to share their problems and concerns and, who knows, there may be someone at Amey who may actually take notice.
We understand that the ridiculously tall and over-bright lamps installed so far on the estate will be replaced with heritage lamps as more appropriate to the estate's Conservation character. It is important however that the height of the posts matches those in the Jewellery Quarter (as Rob illustrates on the MRA website) and that they can be adjusted for brightness, so we can all get a good night's sleep.
ReplyDeleteI was alarmed to discover a 6 metre high modern post being installed at the foot of the horse chestnut on the Spinney on Carless. This has been taken back out "temporarily". I have dropped a rather lengthy email to Amey copying in our elected officials and relevant people on the council raising concerns on this specific post and generally about the new lighting on the estate. Residents will doubtless generally welcome a SYMPATHETIC upgrading of the street lighting and Amey have a great opportunity to show respect for a Birmingham upgraded conservation area.
ReplyDeleteI know that we are supposed to have Heritage Street lighting. Have Amey mistaken this for 'Olympic' heritage so that we can all play sport in the streets on dark winter evenings. East Pathway looks like a floodlit stadium! Mark Stobert
ReplyDeleteCarless Avenue is brighter than wembly stadium. Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI am extremely concerned about the new street lighting currently being installed across the Moorpool Estate for the following reasons;
ReplyDelete• It is completely inappropriate for a conservation area and directly contravenes the Moorpool Conservation Area Character Appraisal, which was adopted only last March! After all, why do the planners expect the rest of us to comply with Conservation area policies, if the very council which is meant to be policing them can't get its act together!
• The lighting on Ravenhurst Road (I live at 166) goes through the heart of the conservation area and the lighting poles are some 3-4m higher than the originals generating light levels which are significantly higher. This completely changes the night-time character of the road which used to be dark with pools of light and is more appropriate for a main road than a quiet residential street. It is a ridiculous level of light.
• The new lighting causes significant light pollution into nearby houses which were previously dark. My bedroom is now bathed in light day and night.
I met Mike Whitby on Harborne High Street on Saturday morning and relayed my concerns to him. Mike said that BCC are at fault for not including provision for conservation areas in Amey's contract for lighting replacement. This is particularly depressing given that after a lengthy period of consultation, BCC have only just adopted the Moorpool Conservation Area Character Appraisal, which explicitly states that conservation lights should be used and they should be no higher than the existing posts. #*$$’s and elbows come to mind.
ReplyDeleteas a migraine sufferer i have already had 2 migraines triggered by simply driving down Carless Avenue, im thinking of resorting to sunglasses! i hope the council are looking carefully at their contract with Amey as im sure they wont want to pay for "temporary " lighting when "permenant" lighting will be ready within the next 6 months. why should contractors be allowed to spoil the character of the estate in violation of planning guidelines? Council please get your act together and 1) dont pay taxpayers money for unnecessary work and 2) enforce your own planning guidelines as you would against a local resident.
ReplyDeleteI also suffer from migraine and find the lights disturbing. It's important to put these views to BCC via their contact (see MRA website).
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