I have asked council officers to investigate light pollution coming from the Badentoy industrial estate area in Portlethen.
A local resident ask me if new developments had planning conditions added to reduce the light pollution caused by street or business lighting.
The concern was with Badentoy and in particular the new Badentoy North part. A resident told me that all the lighting is high intensity LED white light. The concern was the towering plume of white light up into the night sky. It can be seen for miles, from Denside of Durris and Catterline.
A valid concern I think. Light pollution is a widespread problem and much is due to unshaded street lights. Would it not be possible to shade them so that they only shine downwards, on the road, instead of in all directions? Goodness, they can be seen from an aeroplane, there is no need for that.
The temporary lighting at the new roundabout on the north of Stonehaven is especially bad, dazzling motorists instead of illuminating the junction itself.
The LED lights which are being rolled out across Aberdeenshire cause much less spillage than traditional lights. As well as consuming less power, which means lower electricity bills for the council.