To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail (i) his Department's policy for street lighting in rural areas; and (ii) when this policy was last reviewed.

My Department’s policy for the provision of street lighting in rural areas, which was established in 1993, is detailed in RSPPG E072 and can be accessed via the following link.

Street lighting RSPPG E072 | Department for Infrastructure (infrastructure-ni.gov.uk)

The policy uses two main criteria when considering the provision of street lighting in rural areas:

the density of housing within a community, including public buildings with significant night-time use; and

road safety, where street lighting would contribute to a reduction in the number of night-time collisions.

The policy is subject to continual informal review and ensures that the limited resources available for the provision of street lighting are directed to those areas where they can provide the maximum benefit to the public, particularly where road or infrastructure safety is concerned.

It also serves to balance the demand for more rural lighting against the unwelcome effects of increased urbanisation of the countryside and the environmental impact of night sky light pollution on people, wildlife and fauna.

As such, I have no immediate plans to change this policy at this time.