5.1. Roads in Countryside Areas (E1/E2)
5.1.1. With respect to street lighting, Countryside Areas are defined as those areas outside major towns and cities but do include villages and small towns within the county. As a rule these areas are more precisely defined as being those areas within "the Countryside Policy Area Boundary" for development purposes, as described in District and Local Plans. However, in assessing lighting requirements in small rural communities the County Council will consider the requirements and suggestions of the Local Lighting Authority as to the need and standard of lighting. The County Council as Highway Authority will need to agree any proposals but where the agreed standard is less than that promoted by the British Standard, then the Local Lighting Authority will take responsibility for the future maintenance.
5.1.2. Lighting Requirements
5.1.2.1. The general presumption is that street lighting should not be provided in Countryside Areas unless the County Council or the Local Lighting Authority deem it to be in the best interest of the local community from either a road safety or personal security point of view.
5.1.2.2. Road safety benefits may be assessed via the ratio of day/night accidents from the anticipated reduction in night-time accidents, by the installation of Code of Practice standards of lighting. In addition guidelines contained within the Hampshire County Council Safety Engineering Team Technical Note No. 1 may also be considered. Although roundabouts and other major junctions are sites that often identify a need for lighting, assessments should still be made to confirm the justification, having regard to the above.
5.1.2.3. Proposals may lead to situations where the personal security of highway users - particularly pedestrians, can be improved by the provision of lighting. The main factors which should be assessed whilst considering provision on these grounds are:
i. The volume of pedestrian traffic during lighting-up times.
ii. The proportion of such traffic that falls into the categories considered as vulnerable groups, such as women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
iii. The potential risk of the site such as high personal crime rate areas, particularly in secluded locations, and potentially dangerous locations due to the terrain (ie falls) or other hazards. In applying the above it should be noted that the powers of the County Council as Highway Authority do not extend to the provision of lighting solely for reasons of personal security against crime, although it is reasonable to take this into account when lighting is justified on other grounds or to be provided by other bodies.
iv. Areas where anti-social behaviour/repeated acts of vandalism occur.
5.1.2.4. Where lighting is considered desirable, on either road safety or personal security grounds, then full consideration must be given to the environmental impact when designing any lighting proposal. There are special areas in the countryside where environmental considerations will carry greater emphasis. These are defined by Local Planning Authorities under the following general headings:
i. The New Forest Heritage Area (except for the existing urban strip between Lymington and New Milton)
ii. Special Protection Areas
iii. Special Areas of Conservation
iv. Environmentally Sensitive Areas
v. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
vi. Sites of Special Scientific Interest
vii. Historic Parks and Gardens
viii. Consideration of Arboreal Features.
5.1.2.5. There are also certain other sensitive areas in the countryside where this approach should be adopted, eg the larger strategic gaps, parts of the urban fringe. Where a justification to light is identified, within such environmentally sensitive areas, installations designed to minimise daytime and night-time impact with full horizontal cut-off and minimum levels of luminance should be required.
5.1.2.6. In Countryside Areas alternatives to lighting, such as improved carriageway delineation using reflective studs, reflective carriageway surfacing, signing and lining, should all be considered and an integral approach should be used to develop proposals, which best balance safety and environmental considerations.