To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for an update on the revised street lighting policy, RSPPG E072, applicable from 19 August 2015, specifically with reference as to whether it is being correctly implemented and providing value for money.

RSPPG E072 details my Department’s policy for the provision of street lighting, which was established in 1993 and can be accessed via the following link.

Street lighting RSPPG E072 | Department for Infrastructure (infrastructure-ni.gov.uk)

The document is subject to continual informal review. It was formally reviewed in August 2015 when my Officials took the opportunity to amalgamate several other policy guides into this document. The details can be found in the review section on page 23 of the document.

No revisions were made to the policy for the provision of street lighting at this time.

I can assure the member that this policy is correctly implemented and provides value for money, ensuring that the limited resources available for the provision of street lighting are directed to those areas where they can provide the maximum benefit to the public, particularly where road or infrastructure safety is concerned.

It also serves to balance the demand for more rural lighting against the unwelcome effects of increased urbanisation of the countryside and the environmental impact of night sky light pollution on people, wildlife and fauna.