Oxford Students Raise Safety Concerns Over “Dark Skies” Proposal
The proposal aims to reduce night-time street lighting, followed by a backlash.
Students in Oxford have voiced concerns over Oxfordshire County Council’s proposed “Dark Skies” initiative, fearing it could threaten their safety at night.
The "Dark Skies" proposal, currently under discussion, to reduce street lighting from 11 p.m. to 6.30 a.m. across the county, aims to minimise the ecological impact of artificial lighting on wildlife, reduce carbon emissions, and save over £400k in annual energy costs.
On 13 November, Brookes Union and Oxford Students’ Union released a joint statement of concern regarding the proposal.
“We know that many students are already concerned about travelling around areas of the city late at night, and this action is likely to increase those concerns. We also recognise that many students live in typically residential areas which are likely to be impacted more,” the statement read. It also highlighted student campaigns for improved lighting in South Park, emphasising persistent safety challenges: “students already don't feel safe in this city.”
The County Council had initially scheduled to discuss the proposal at its 14 November meeting. Prior to the meeting, however, Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, deputy leader responsible for Climate Change, Environment & Future Generations, announced to defer the decision. The meeting instead was used for council members and public speakers to raise questions and shares their opinions on the proposal.
Several speakers, including councillors, noted the impact the proposal could have on vulnerable groups in the community, including women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Addressing these concerns, Dr Sudbury cited research suggesting limited correlation between street lighting levels and fear of crime:
“The big meta-analysis I found showed that there was no significant difference between fear of crime when you've got part night lighting or dimming or leaving the lights on, because fear of crime is driven a lot socially.
Dr Sudbury added that improved street lighting cannot reduce crime at night: “My understanding is that when you put new streetlights in, crime goes down, but when you look at it, it goes down during the day and stays the same at night. It goes down during the day because nice new streetlights make a place look as though somebody cares.”
“This needs to be deferred until it's right,” he concluded by emphasising the need for thorough consultation before decision are made.
“We need to work with the police and get to a shared understanding of what the right answer is, because we need proper consultation, particularly with women, with disabilities, we need a proper sphere of freedom.”
