Dark Skies: Technical Advice Note
Dark Skies: Technical Advice Note 2021
The Dark Skies Technical Advice Note (TAN) sets out the South Downs National Park’s approach to lighting design for the protection and enhancement of Dark Skies. The South Downs National Park is a designated Dark Sky Reserve. This is a designation controlled by an organisation called DarkSky International (formerly the International Dark-Sky Association).
The document has been developed to help planning applicants, architects, planners and landowners understand the National Park's expectations regarding external lighting. It relates not just to areas with exceptional night skies, but also to the urban areas within and around them. In the South Downs, this includes towns like Lewes and Petersfield. Within the TAN a series of tiered lighting environmental zones are established within which different limitations on lighting are enforced. Emphasis is placed on careful design, low light levels, lighting controls and minimising visibility from surrounding landscapes.
Although the TAN is specific to the South Downs, many of its principles represent current best practice and can be applied to projects within other protected landscapes across the UK
