Lighting upgrade proposal for Dane Park

The incident happened by Dane Park

Officers from Thanet and Kent councils, police, bowls club members, residents and a ward councillor have taken part in a safety assessment walk at Dane Park.

The ‘information gathering walk’ was arranged following concerns about broken lighting at the park raised after a reported attack on a schoolgirl.

Thanet councillor David Wallin says there are now proposals to improve district council owned lights at the park with a change to LED and lighting throughout the night rather than set hours.

In 2020 then-ward councillor Gary Taylor urged police and the Thanet Community Safety Partnership to take action following a string of assaults, fires, vandalism and issues with Traveller encampments at the park.

Cllr Wallin, who attended the walk, and fellow ward councillor Ruth Duckworth, raised the lighting issue last year and the site visit took place on Wednesday (January 11).

The group spoke to people in the park and walked from the water fountain and around the bowls club.

Cllr Wallin said: “More of the lights were working than I think I can remember ever seeing, but there were still a few out and we also saw some dark and unlit areas in the park.

“Upgrading of the TDC owned and operated lights so that they are all LED -so brighter, longer-life and cheaper to run – is something that is now on the cards and I hope this will be done soon.

“Also, these lights will be on all night, rather than turning off for a few hours. For additional lights, areas that might benefit from these were located., one being the part where the old pond was, near to the fountain, where I suggested that when the water fountain comes back to life, that maybe this should be floodlit. This would make it more of a feature, whilst additionally lighting up a dark part of the park.

“I also stressed that fallen leaves covering the paths can become a death-trap when wet, as they become slippery and could even cover ice underneath them.”

Last month Thanet council said the small number of TDC lights had been inspected and replacement lamps would be installed during December and January.

A follow-up meeting is now being arranged to take place at the Dane Park Bowls Club in the coming weeks.

16 Comments

      • We suffer far too much from light pollution.
        By all means, have appropriate lighting at times when vulnerable people are likely to be about. Or use motion sensors, so that they turn on for a few minutes if someone is walking about.
        No need for 24×7.

    • Good Idea, but how much would it cost to encircle the whole park with adequate fencing to keep people out at night. I think T.D.C will weigh up the cost and decide lighting is better, but on the other hand a more obvious police presence at night might prove more cost effective.

  1. Agree about a park keeper. There is not enough Police officers to do regular patrols anywhere nowadays so I believe if someone is going to commit a crime they will commit it regardless of how much lighting there is. There will always be a dark spot wherever they may be.

  2. The best deterrent to vandalism and other safety matters is a PIR system of lighting whereby the light comes on as soon as persons are detected the light comes on and the voice says “ beware this area is monitored by live CCTV” my late brother Ken devised this system, however due to its security implications it was never widely advertised but it is very successful where it is used.

  3. My Great Great Grandfather was the first park keeper for Dane park when it was fenced and locked at night. He wore a top hat and frock coat for work. Many of the railings were dismantled during the wars. As a child I used to picnic in the park when the pond and fountain were functional. Regarding lights-they don’t need to be on all the time, fit proximity sensors with appropriate range so that they come on when someone is close enough to need the light. Reduces pollution and running cost but leaves no dark spots for someone to lurk in.

  4. We have KCC installed LED lamps on the streets now and you can notice the difference, they are not as bright on the pavement area and roads as the previous type. They look bright but that brightness doesn’t throw far out. Vandals and muggers think it is great though in the side streets as they are not seen. Fitting LED’s won’t make much difference other than cost less to the council in energy use.

  5. It is essential to make sure that proper downlights are used, that are sheilde to direct the light down to the ground. Glare from poorly directed lights allows potential near do wells to be lost in the glare. The campaign for dark skies has vast experience in promoting the use of proper suitable lighting for all scenarios. They should be consulted for the best solution. Happy to give further details. We need to prevent further light pollution.

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