All you have to do is stay up a little late and open your eyes. Riding on the growing success of the Le jour de la nuit operation, the France Nature Environnement Bretagne association is seeking to recruit “sentinels of the night”. Their mission: to identify illegal lighting in the region. The association thus hopes to fight against the abusive use of light, particularly in our cities. “Lighting in the middle of the night causes disruption of living things, energy waste and the loss of the starry sky”, assures France Nature Environnement. A third of the world’s population cannot see the Milky Way due to light pollution.
During a marauding organized in the streets of Rennes ten days ago, around fifty offenses were noted by the activists. “These were mainly illuminated signs and shop windows, such as real estate agencies or ready-to-wear,” explains Aurélie Legoff, in charge of animation at FNE, in a press release. During a nocturnal report made in Nantes, 20 minutes had also noticed that several shops in the pedestrian streets remained lit. By carrying out “an inventory of the faults in the application of the regulations in Brittany”, France Nature Environnement hopes to “raise the awareness of the actors” and promote light sobriety.
What are the rules for businesses?
For a business, the window must be turned off no later than 1 a.m.. It can be turned on again from 7 a.m. or 1 hour before opening if this occurs earlier. The rule is the same for lights highlighting heritage, parks or gardens.
Premises for professional use must be switched off “one hour after the end of occupation of the premises”. As for car parks such as those in shopping centres, they must be turned off two hours after closing. In the event of formal notice, offenders have five days to comply with the rules. The mayor may impose a fine of a maximum amount of 1,500 euros if the situation persists.