The Council has been “rolling out” ugly new street lights – rather in the style of floodlights used on football pitches. It is excellent that there is switch to LED lighting – they use only half the energy and thus save the Council money as well as helping the environment. But there is no reason why the design of street lighting for them has to be so hideous. LED lighting could being used in a traditional lamp post.
Another difficulty is that the new lighting has been too bright – in some cases (such as Rylett Road) making it harder for people to get to sleep. “We are able to address problems of light leakage into residents’ homes where this occurs, if residents notify us of this,” the Council tells me. But getting this achieved in practice is proving a slow job. Absurd as if excessive brightness is avoided this means the financial and environmental benefits would be greater.
All this has been done without consultation – yet again making a mockery of the Council’s mantra about doing things “with people not too people”. I have asked for a schedule of when the new lights are being brought in to each street.
I have written previously about the Council refusal to allow residents to switch form the ugly, modernist “tooth brush” lamp posts to the traditional lanterns. The was something that was allowed for Black Lion Lane and St Peter’s Square when the Council was Conservative-run but others are being prevented from following the example.
The toothbrush lamp posts are ugly enough. Not content with blocking residents from adopting a more attractive alternative the Council is imposing replacements that look even worse.
Let’s bring in LED lighting but at the same time let’s have lamp post designs that make the borough more beautiful rather than more ugly.
Hammersmith and Fulham Forum 
I have had to purchase block out blinds for our street facing bedroom after 23 years of living on Goldhawk Rd thanks to the searchlight outside my window (on the opposite side of the street) ….not to mention the light pollution from apple real estate office which is ridiculous.
I have a lamp post out side my bedroom window with these knew lovely lights, I love them and only have voile lined curtains. we need more. they give off a lovely blue soft light.
I like these new street lights a great deal.
The light is clean and white, rather than a muddy yellow. They throw crisp shadows which are rather beautiful and dramatic.
Most importantly, the light is highly directional and there is little leakage above and to the sides of the bulb. Previously the street light outside our bedroom was very intrusive even through blackout blinds. Now we get barely a single photon – just darkness.