"Brightly lit" like a "marshalling yard": City councilors are calling for less light pollution in Schongau

Created: 05/08/2022, 08:00

By: Elena Siegl

Light pollution can be dangerous for insects.

© Archive

Unnecessary light at night is a problem for the ALS in Schongau. Both for environmental and financial reasons.

The city council has now made a decision in principle.

Schongau - "One would have thought there was a marshalling yard down there, everything was so brightly lit," said Gregor Schuppe (ALS) in the most recent meeting, describing an experience when he walked along the Hoher Graben in the dark and looked from the forest cemetery to the school center .

Although there were probably no students in the rooms at this time, all the lamps were on.

“On further walks you can find similarly oversized night lights in many places in Schongau.

We think that's a problem," says Schuppe.

The ALS therefore asked the city council for a policy resolution to reduce light emissions.

On the one hand because of the financial aspect, on the other hand for environmental reasons.

Even if LEDs are no longer so important, all lighting causes costs.

And the energy-saving technology leads to "even more wasteful use of night-time light sources and thus to even more harmful effects for humans and animals".

Climate managers could take care of implementation

The ALS formulated five points in its application: The city should check the outdoor lighting of all city buildings, paths and streets for their necessity, accuracy of fit and insect-friendliness.

In addition, the possibility of retrofitting intelligent lighting systems on existing systems is to be examined.

In the future, only intelligent lighting systems will be installed in new installations.

These adapt their light emission to actual needs, for example using motion detectors.

The ALS also wants city employees, such as the business development agency or the climate manager who has yet to be hired, to enter into dialogue with tradespeople in order to reduce the lighting in shop windows and advertising systems to the necessary minimum.

Ideally, a “light curfew” would be introduced.

Finally, the city should also acknowledge its role as a role model for the population.

“The fight against light pollution hardly ties up any financial resources; on the contrary, it can even save money and energy.

The only thing we need for this is a rethink and good will," says Schuppe.

appeal to the population

Marianne Porsche-Rohrer (CSU) was still missing an appeal to the population to also save light in the list.

Above all, she thought of garden lighting, especially at Christmas time, which "wasted so much energy".

In addition, it is quite annoying when you have the neighbor's lights right in front of the bedroom window.

"We can't ban it, but maybe make one or the other think differently."

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.)

There is also an urgent need for action on the city wall, said Bettina Buresch (Greens), who was pleased with the ALS application.

According to Buresch, insect mortality is the worst effect of light pollution.

The lighting is the next construction site that you want to tackle in terms of the city wall environment, explained city architect Sebastian Dietrich.

In terms of the school center, which Gregor Schuppe had addressed, there is a special regulation.

As long as someone is in the building, for example club athletes or VHS course participants in the evening, the school must be illuminated.

The caretakers are required to control the lights accordingly, Dietrich explained.

In the elementary school, escape routes ran outside, and these would also have to be illuminated.

Fix "dark holes" in the city

Stefan Konrad also considered the application to be correct.

However, he pointed out that there is not only light pollution in Schongau, but also some "dark holes".

Around the eastern city wall, above the Lidl.

Some would walk there without lighting with a bad feeling.

He suggested lamps that turn on when needed as a solution.

Since one is aware of the high burden on the building authority, one could gladly transfer the implementation of the requested measures to the future climate manager, suggested Schuppe on behalf of the ALS.

The city council unanimously agreed to this and to the fundamental decision itself.

You can find more current news from the region around Schongau at Merkur.de/Schongau.