A CONTROVERSIAL call for lighting in Flood Meadows has been turned down by Alton Town Council on grounds that it could actually encourage the sort of behaviour it would be designed to deter. Councillors also took on board the views of local conservation groups such as Alton Friends of the Earth, the Alton Society, Alton Natural History Society and the Northern Wey Trust, all of whom are strongly opposed to the idea. The possibility of modest footway lighting followed suggestions by some residents that it would improve the safety of people using the meadows at night. Furthermore, the council had been offered a financial contribution by a local resident towards such a scheme. Following a request for views in The Altonian and in the local papers, the council had received four letters from people who believed strategically placed lighting would improve safety for users, and seven from those opposed to lighting on environmental grounds and because they felt lighting would encourage the congregation of young people and make walkers more vulnerable. Members of the town council's recreation committee were convinced of these arguments following an address by Gillian Stanton, talking on behalf of the town's conservation groups who had put a great deal of thought into their response. By way of introduction Mrs Stanton pointed out that since 1989, volunteers had worked in conjunction with the then landowners, East Hampshire District Council and now Alton Town Council, "to strike a balance of management to develop the land to be aesthetically pleasing and interesting to local residents and to provide protected habitats for insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and mammals". Not only had the Alton Society planted more than 100 trees on the meadow as part of the Trees for Life scheme, but conservation volunteers had planted hedgerows, wild flowers and seeded grasses, and cared for the cress beds, transforming the meadow "from a green, sterile area to an area of great diversity". "This piece of land is valued by people and wildlife for its river, old cressbeds, grassland, shrubs and trees and is the nearest accessible natural habitat to the town centre," said Mrs Stanton, who firmly believed that the introduction of lighting would be "damaging to the feel of the place". "It would no longer be a piece of the countryside but a town park," she said. Mrs Stanton added that, in her opinion, low- level lighting would expose people on the footpath to anyone lurking in the dark of nearby trees and shrubs, making them more, rather then less, vulnerable. Furthermore, she believed that the installation of lights and seating would attract young people to congregate in the meadows, which in itself would be intimidating for walkers and encourage vandalism. It could also set a precedent if certain areas of the footway network were lit and not others. To introduce lighting would, she suggested, be "a retrograde step" when the simple and sensible solution would be for night-walkers to carry a torch or to walk round, rather than cross, the meadow in the dark. Conservationists, she pointed out, were not only opposed to light pollution, but were concerned about the effect of light on night activities of wildlife and felt the cost in time and money of installation and maintenance of lights to be unnecessary. Speaking in support of the objectors, Paddy Mendham said that his first thought had been that lighting seemed to be a good idea. But having heard and read about the concerns of members of the Alton Society and Friends of the Earth he had realised that it would not make Flood Meadows a safer place at night. John Smith was "vehemently opposed" to any lighting of Flood Meadows. "We can't go against the wishes of those volunteers who have helped us maintain the area. This is not a public park but a quiet bit of Alton where people can commune with nature. "I can understand the concerns of some members of the public but feel that this is based on the fear of crime and not on facts." While councillors voted against the installation of lighting at Flood Meadows, following concerns expressed by Roger Fitzer and David Willoughby, the issue is to be kept on the back burner, not to be revisited during the time of this council (two years).
