'˜My hot tub privacy has been ruined by Milton Keynes Council's new LED street lights'

Geoffrey Ward’s Bletchley back garden was, until January, dimly-lit and private.

But since the council fitted new LED street lamps on the nearby road, it has turned his erstwhile haven into something akin to Blackpool illuminations, he claims.

“The lights are aimed straight at my garden and the back of my house. They are so bright that I sit in my hot tub and I’m completely dazzled by them,” he said.

Mr Ward complained to the council immediately and contractors Ringway were sent out to assess the problem.

“They agreed the lights were too bright but after all this time they don’t seem to be able to do anything about it,” he said.

The two offending lampposts are directly behind Mr Ward’s detached Nottingham Grove house.

“They are obviously designed to light up the road. But instead of being angled towards the carriageway, they are angled directly at my house.”

Ringway workers have tried re-angling the LED lamps and say they have even fitted lower wattage bulbs.

“It has made no difference,” said Mr Ward. “I always liked to sit in my hot tub after dark when it is nice and private. Now it’s lit up so that everybody who passes by can see me.

A spokesman for Milton Keynes Council said there is nothing more they can do to help Mr Ward.

“We have tried very hard to accommodate Mr Ward’s concerns,” he said.

“We’ve looked at various possible solutions, including changing the angle of the street lights in question, so they were pointing less intrusively into his garden, and fitting lower wattage bulbs, making sure of course that illumination levels stayed within safe visibility limits,” he said.

“Unfortunately there appears to be nothing else we can do at present.”

Currently the council is spending million fitting all 56,000 street lights in Milton Keynes with LEd bulbs.

They plan to invest £35m into the programme over the next 10 years, saying the new LED lights are cheaper, better for the environment, and also reduce accidents and crime.

READ MORE:

REVEALED IN PICTURES: The 15 most expensive houses in Milton Keynes

REVEALED IN PICTURES: The 12 cheapest houses in Milton Keynes

REVEALED: The 20 worst anti-social behaviour hotspots in Milton Keynes

IN PICTURES: 47 pubs in Milton Keynes you went to over the years that aren’t there anymore

REVEALED: The best and worst GP surgeries in Milton Keynes for 2018 as rated by you

REVEALED: The best primary schools rated OUTSTANDING by Ofsted across Milton Keynes

REVEALED: The Milton Keynes primary schools that REQUIRE IMPROVEMENT according to Ofsted