Last Friday, Dr Kieran Mullan, MP for Bexhill & Battle, met with local councillors, campaigners and residents at The Bell in Ticehurst to discuss the growing community support for protecting and restoring dark skies across rural areas of the constituency.
Opening the discussion, local campaigner David Field set out the wide-ranging benefits of dark skies. Local groups shared practical successes. Salehurst and Robertsbridge Parish Council has already cut its streetlighting costs by 75% after adopting dark skies compliant lighting. Wild About Ticehurst celebrated the popularity of its Dark Sky Festivals, showing how quickly public enthusiasm grows once people see what dark skies can offer. Among these examples were contributions from many other dedicated campaigners and representatives, demonstrating the overwhelming local support for dark skies.
Doug Edworthy spoke powerfully on behalf of astronomers, reminding the room that vanishing dark skies also means the loss of future opportunities – the chance for children to be inspired by the universe and to pursue science, engineering and discovery.
The meeting highlighted that simple, inexpensive changes to lighting can make a huge difference. From adjusting the colour, direction and intensity of streetlights to reducing unnecessary night‑time lighting, speakers emphasised how small actions can protect wildlife, improve human wellbeing, save energy and help residents reconnect with the night sky.
In response to the breadth and strength of local enthusiasm, Kieran committed to supporting the group’s application to become an International Dark Sky Community and to helping parishes work together on shared challenges such as railway station lighting.
When asked about the meeting, Kieran said “So many of us locally are very lucky to be able to look up at night and see much more of the beauty of the stars in the night sky compared to people living in big cities. This meeting brought together local partners, experts, and community voices who all share the same goal: ensuring that future generations can continue to experience the wonder of a star filled sky. It was great to learn that so much can be done in a way that doesn't leave communities any worse off and might actually save money. Simple things like the colour, strength and direction of streetlamps can make a huge difference. I was encouraged by the collaboration and commitment shown and look forward to working with this group in the future.”
The meeting served as a highly successful and energising gathering, and an encouraging step towards safeguarding the beauty of our rural skies for generations to come.
