Appendix 8: Lighting Assessment (141Kb Pdf) - Palmerston North ...

Palmerston North City CouncilDistrict Plan Change 1Proposed Lighting Changes

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting Changes1 IntroductionPalmerston North City Council (“Council”) is in the process of preparing a District PlanChange, Plan Change 1, to redefine the City’s Inner and Outer Business Zones (“IBZ” &“OBZ”). Opus International Consultants (“Opus”) has been commissioned to provide inputto the review and development of lighting standards for the Plan Change. The purpose ofthis report is to set out the requirements for Council’s control of lighting in publicallyaccessible spaces, including external and car park internal lighting. Note that street lightingis specifically excluded.The scope of work covers:• A review of the existing lighting standard for the IBZ and OBZ – stating whether theexisting standard is appropriate, or have new standards been implemented that need tobe considered.• District Plan Change 1 contains policies that seek to ensure public areas, includingprivately owned spaces that are characterised by patterns of public use, are suitably litand that the design of developments reduce potential threats to personal safety andsecurity.Opus considers there are two key factors to be addressed: firstly the provision of safe,effective and compliant lighting levels within the business activity zones; and secondly themanagement of obtrusive light from business activity areas which share an interface withResidential Zones. These two factors are discussed separately in the following sections,for the IBZ and OBZ respectively.It is Opus’ assumption that Council has defined the requirements for streetlighting andpedestrian route lighting for the IBZ and OBZ and such lighting is not covered in this report.5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 1

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting Changes2 Inner Business Zone2.1 Recommended Wording1) Lightinga) Car park lightingi. All external car parking areas shall provide lighting designed and installed inaccordance with the P11a lighting sub category of AS/NZS Standard1158.3.1:2005 including subsequent amendments.ii.iii.Designated external car parking spaces specifically intended for people withdisabilities shall provide lighting designed and installed in accordance withthe P12 lighting sub category of AS/NZS Standard 1158.3.1:2005 includingsubsequent amendments.All internal car parking building areas shall provide internal lighting designedand installed in accordance with AS/NZS Standard 1680.2.1:2008 includingsubsequent amendments.b) Pedestrian lightingi. All verandahs shall provide pedestrian lighting designed and installed inaccordance with the P2 lighting subcategory of AS/NZS Standard1158.3.1.2005 including subsequent amendments.ii.All public and private pedestrian routes shall provide pedestrian lightingdesigned and installed in accordance with the P2 lighting subcategory ofAS/NZS Standard 1158.3.1.2005 including subsequent amendments.c) Negative effects of exterior lightingi. All exterior lighting shall be designed and installed to ensure compliance withAS Standard 4282 including subsequent amendments.d) White lighti. All exterior lighting shall use “white light” sources.2.2 Lighting not compliant with the permitted activity performance conditions.In determining where to grant consent and what conditions if any to impose, Council will, inaddition to XXX planning policies, assess any exterior or car park lighting application interms of the following further principles:a) To ensure exterior lighting is lit to an appropriate standard to ensure public and usersafety, security and comfort.b) To ensure the local ambience of the area is maintained.5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 2

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting Changesc) To ensure residents in any zone, or other night time property users, are notadversely affected by the obtrusive effects of exterior lighting.d) To ensure road users are not adversely affected by the obtrusive effects of exteriorlighting.2.3 Justification for Wording2.3.1 IntroductionThe IBZ represents the commercial heart of Palmerston North. The aim of PlanChange 1 is to promote the IBZ as a more intensely developed and pedestrianfocused zone. Opus understands that the IBZ requirements to be met cover thecontrol of exterior lighting, including verandahs, car parks and linkages, includingstreet lighting and pedestrian access lighting to private spaces.Opus considers that the current applicable standards for external lighting of publicspaces are appropriate for the control of lighting in the IBZ. These standardsinclude:• AS/NZS 1158.3.1:2005: Lighting for roads and public spaces – Pedestrianarea lighting – performance and design requirements. This standardspecifies minimum levels of light needed to provide adequate illumination fora given outdoor activity. The standard concentrates on ensuring areas areevenly lit but is almost totally silent on any negative effects of lighting, withthe exception of controlling upward waste light to ensure efficient lighting.• AS 4282:1997 Control on the obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting. AnAustralian standard has been used as there is no applicable New Zealandstandard for light spill, glare, and other potentially obtrusive effects of exteriorlighting. This standard controls negative effects of exterior lighting, andapplies to controlling light on residential boundaries and residential windows(light spill), and other negative effects of lighting. Light spill is one of theobtrusive effects of light – ie how much light falls on a particular boundary.AS4282 also considers how ‘bright’ lights are, as a very bright piercing lightsource can be offensive and cause discomfort, and distraction to (say)residential or pedestrian observers and road users, although that light maynot cause light spill. (Think of a spotlight aimed at your eyes.) This will forcelight owners to install lights that illuminate well without causing discomfort tothe general public. Finally, the standard controls glare – a measure of howbright a light source is relative to its background, for similar reasons to thosefor bright light – but particularly relevant for motorists.• AS/NZS 1680: 2006-2008 Interior Lighting. This standard specifically detailslighting of car park spaces inside a building, in addition to other buildinglighting requirements.5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 3

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting Changes2.3.2 External LightingExternal lighting requirements for pedestrian dominated areas are covered byAS/NZS 1158.3.1:2005. Areas included in the Plan Change 1 requirements includecar parking areas, pedestrian linkages to car parks and pavements underverandahs.Whilst the definition of the appropriate lighting sub-category rests with Council, Opushas determined that Sub-Category P11a is the most appropriate lighting level for theIBZ due to the high nighttime pedestrian movements; high nighttime occupancyrates and the requirement to ensure adequate safety of users in the IBZ.P11a is specifically for high crime areas, and/or high pedestrian activity. Opusrecommends this level to ensure that lighting levels are suitable to reduce thepotential impacts of crime and enhance personnel and property safety. The specificillumination parameters for category P11a are tabulated below:Average horizontalilluminance (Eh) luxCategory P11a Light Technical ParametersPoint horizontalilluminance (Eph) luxIlluminance(horizontal) uniformityPoint verticalilluminance lux14 3 10 3It should be noted that AS/NZS 1158:3.1 does not cover lighting specificallyintended as security lighting for building exteriors, nor does it cover lighting for videosurveillance. However where lighting for video surveillance is provided, the lightingprinciples and performance requirements expressed in AS/NZS 1158 should not becompromised.From recent lighting tests on a related project, and the information provided on thePNCC cameras, we are comfortable that the lighting levels detailed are generallysufficient for CCTV. Under certain specific conditions, the council may wish to use aparticularly high definition camera, to record very high quality information on skintone, facial details etc. In these specific situations a very high level of lighting isrequired, unjustifiable for general public lighting. Similarly, the council may have afew unusually poor specification security cameras that require a very high level oflighting. It is possible but unlikely that these poor cameras would require additionalconstraints on lighting uniformity to ensure adequate visibility of people and objectswithin the zone of surveillance. This would be necessary so that the contrasts of thearea are maintained within the dynamic range capability of the camera. In thesecases we would recommend a specific lighting solution to match the needs of thecamera with required light levels.Aside from the technical parameters for external lighting, such lighting shall bedesigned such that it will not confuse road users, e.g. incorrect usage of red andgreen lights near traffic lights.5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 4

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting ChangesArtificial sources of light, because of quantitative, directional or spectral attributescan cause annoyance, discomfort or distraction. The Standards reflect the need tocontrol the obtrusive or adverse effects of artificial light spill and glare withinresidential environments, regardless of zone. Whilst the IBZ is not, nor does notborder on, a residential zone, there are still environments where obtrusive light spill(such as spotlights aimed at drivers, or floodlights immediately adjacent to abedroom window) would be considered unacceptable. Limiting lighting to AS 4282manages these obtrusive effects.2.3.3 Internal Car ParksThe lighting requirements for all internal car parking areas in the IBZ (excluding rooftop levels) are covered under AS/NZS 1680 Interior and Workplace Lighting. Alldesign requirements for interior car parks shall be compliant with the requirementsof AS/NZS 1680: Interior and Workplace Lighting. Opus considers this to be aminimum requirement and in line with standard practice in the industry.2.3.4 Obtrusive LightingAlthough the reduction in the size of the IBZ means that it no longer shares aninterface with the Residential Zone, Opus suggests that lighting design should stillmaintain compliance with the requirements of AS 4282:1997. In terms of obtrusivelighting, the IBZ has been determined to be a commercial area, although the historicmaximum light level of 8 lux has been replaced with the nominally more lenient 10lux allowed for the pre-curfew requirement of AS 4282.2.3.5 Lighting CurfewsOpus is aware that some councils use lighting curfews to good effect. For exampleit may be practicable, and environmentally acceptable, to allow shop owners toreduce, or turn off car park lighting after close of trading. The lighting requirement isthen reduced from user safety and security, to general public lighting. This is maybe considered more important in the OBZ, particularly where there is an interfacewith the Residential zone.2.3.6 White Light PolicyBased on published research, the recent international trend has been to light publicspaces and amenity areas in city centres, places of interest and high nighttimepedestrian traffic with white light.In New Zealand, Auckland City Council has outlined the benefits of white lighting inthe 2003 Lighting Policy document.The advantages of white light for enhancing the ambience of a city centre and itsenvironment is difficult to quantify as it is largely subjective. White light has beenreported in research to produce notable benefits in reduction of reaction times andadd to the comfort of amenity lighting.5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 5

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting ChangesIt has also been reported that white light gives better clarity and colour rendition tosecurity cameras, providing a greater deterrent to crime and thereby enhancing thesafety of the environment for users.Opus therefore recommends that white light be utilised within the IBZ, designated asa significant pedestrian zone, under the terms of reference of this report.Further information on this aspect is presented within Appendix A.5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 6

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting Changes3 Outer Business Zone3.1 Recommended Wording1) Lightinga) Car park lightingi. All external car parking areas shall provide lighting designed and installed inaccordance with the P11a lighting sub category of AS/NZS Standard1158.3.1:2005 including subsequent amendments. Car park lighting may beturned off 30 minutes after the last business, served by that car park, closes.ii.iii.Designated external car parking spaces specifically intended for people withdisabilities shall provide lighting designed and installed in accordance withthe P12 lighting sub category of AS/NZS Standard 1158.3.1:2005 includingsubsequent amendments. Car park lighting may be turned off 30 minutesafter the last business, served by that car park, closes.All internal car parking building areas shall provide internal lighting designedand installed in accordance with AS/NZS Standard 1680.2.1:2008 includingsubsequent amendments.b) Pedestrian lightingi. All public and private pedestrian routes shall provide pedestrian lightingdesigned and installed in accordance with the P2 lighting subcategory ofAS/NZS Standard 1158.3.1.2005 including subsequent amendments.c) Negative effects of exterior lightingi. All exterior lighting shall be designed and installed to ensure compliance withAS Standard 4282 including subsequent amendments.3.2 Lighting not compliant with the permitted activity performance conditions.In determining where to grant consent and what conditions if any to impose, Council will, inaddition to XXX planning policies, assess any exterior or car park lighting application interms of the following further principles:a) To ensure exterior lighting is lit to an appropriate standard to ensure public and usersafety, security and comfort.b) To ensure the local ambience of the area is maintained.c) To ensure residents in any zone, or other night time property users, are notadversely affected by the obtrusive effects of exterior lighting.d) To ensure road users are not adversely affected by the obtrusive effects of exteriorlighting.5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 7

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting Changes3.3 Justification for Wording3.3.1 IntroductionThe OBZ is to be focused as a zone that is characterised by space extensive,vehicle orientated activities that have convenient access to adjoining arterial roadnetwork.3.3.2 DiscussionThe OBZ requirements are similar to the IBZ requirements although white light is notrequired, and verandah lighting is not required.As the OBZ interfaces with adjacent residential areas, residents may be disturbed ifcar park lighting is left on all night, and car park owners may be frustrated at theextra energy costs of keeping these lights on all night. For this reason, a clause hasbeen inserted in the exterior car park requirement, giving car park owners the optionof turning off lighting when the car park is no longer required.5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 8

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting Changes4 Guidance on ComplianceAll accepted standards contain either a basis for demonstrating compliance with thatstandard, or a means of calculating the effects of lighting and assessing these calculationsagainst the standard. These are:AS/NZS 1158:3.1 – Appendix E (Demonstration of Compliance)AS 4282 – Appendix C (Investigations into the Obtrusive Effects of Outdoor Lighting)AS/NZS 1680:1.2006 – Appendix B (Calculations and Measurement of Illuminance)5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 9

PNCC - Draft District Plan Change 43, Proposed Lighting ChangesAppendix A - Supporting Documentation(a) “Towards and Understanding of Lamp Spectral Effects at Night”, Ian Lewin, PhD., FIES, L.C.Presentation to the 47 th IES Convention Sydney Australia. April 2002..5-P0268.00 Final12 February 2010 10