This is the night-time view from the balcony outside the large window in our Brighton bedroom. All very dark, and quiet, other than one building.
I'm not sure who owns the building, but it's been lit-up like this EVERY SINGLE NIGHT since we first moved here, at least 20 years ago. The building is unoccupied at night.
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In these days of austerity, we try to use as little electricity as possible, as I'm sure do most people.
So, I can only imagine that this building is Council owned, as they are the only people that I can think of who couldn't give a shit care less how much of other people's money they waste. I think I mentioned previously that we have a 'Green Minority Control' Council, with a heavy presence of Labour. A classic case of 'Tax-n-Spend'.
We don't get much for our very high Brighton house taxes, but we do get plenty of weeds growing on our pavements, as well as lots of totally useless lighting.
I'm not 100% certain that it's Council owned, but I shall certainly be making enquiries. If I'm proved right I shall be having words with our so-called 'GREEN' Council; who act more like a murky brown sludge coloured council. Hypocrites.
Wasteful and even if it has LED lighting, it sets a bad example. Here in our building it has been deemed as cheaper to leave LED lighting on than maintain sensors and timer push buttons. A new type of LED has recently appeared which glows at a low level and brightens to full strength as you approach.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to pop round to find out but good luck with finding anybody if it's public sector.
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose they'd do anything about it anyway. It must cost them a fortune.
DeleteOh well. It may not be so bad when all the power cuts happen this winter.
ReplyDeleteBuy plenty of candles!!!
DeleteSounds as though you need to send off a few stiff emails. Every country, well almost, is turning off their public lighting.
ReplyDeleteOur mayor started months ago by not replacing bulbs on our mountain road. A few stiff posts on his Facebook page didn't get him into action when they went out so we can only assume he's one of those greens too
It does annoy me that I'm probably paying for all those lights, one way or another!
DeleteIf it is Local Authority property I wish you well in your attempts. My experience of LAs in my locality is that they will pick high profile and useful services to cut long before they look to savings that might affect themselves and their creature comforts. Mind you, we have a long track record of corruption going back to T Dan Smith in the late 1960s/early 1970s.....
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure who owns or runs the property. It seems to be split between several different organisations. However, the important thing is that the electricity is being wasted, no matter who's paying for it.
DeleteI think the greatest wasters of fuel are rich people and commercial organisations. Rich people have bigger houses and sometimes two or three of them and businesses often turn a blind eye to such matters as shutting down computers or turning off lights. I doubt that that brightly illuminated building is a council property. It is probably Caroline Lucas's Hollywood-style mansion with its floodlit tennis courts, swimming pool and car pound where she keeps her fleet of luxury vehicles.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who would turn on all her lights, TVs, radios, etc, every morning simply because she had always done so. When I started turning OFF her lights she called me a 'skinflint'. I hope she's learned her lesson.
DeleteDon't judge until you know what the building is and who owns/runs it....
ReplyDeleteSometimes lights are left on as the bulbs last longer that way...so it is cheaper.
Sometimes they are left in "for security"
I will be interesting to know that when you do discover...
And the light pollution?
DeleteThese lights have been on every night for about 20 years, and no-one is there. Very odd whoever's paying the bill.
DeleteGo for a walk in the daytime to see who is around and what kind of business it is. We're all curious now.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe the top floors are individually let office spaces for 'start-ups'. No excuse to waste all that power.
DeleteThere is no need for that building to be illuminated at night, no matter who is paying the power bills!
ReplyDeleteBut.......you are very lucky to have the Council Tax bills you do, up here we pay to Wirral Council, and ours really ARE high.
Our council have decimated our library services, closed some special needs schools, our pavements are a mess, in some areas dangerously so, it takes an age to get a street light repaired, wheelie bins are emptied fortnightly, recycling one week, general waste the next, garden waste bin emptying is charged separately, currently £50 p.a.
Council Tax for a Band E house like ours is...
Brighton and Hove....£1941.78
Wirral....£2508.71
We pay an extra £566.93 to live here, and for the life of me, I cannot fathom why!
That does seem high. Sounds like you need a Conservative run council. They are not always cheaper, but they do tend to be.
DeleteBand E here in my town in Fylde is 2561.92
ReplyDeleteThat's even worse than Col's.
DeleteWhat makes me mad? Inequity. Different rules for different people. This light situation falls neatly into that category. I'm curious too. Cro Investigative Agency (aka CIA) needs to get cracking.
ReplyDeleteI quite expect when prices start to hit, that they'll do something about it. CIA on the job!
DeleteI suppose on the up side it does deter burglars and you are not paying the bill for the illuminations except through your rates. But it certainly merits investigation.
ReplyDeleteIf we watch TV in the evening we have just one small table lamp lit. Otherwise the house is dark.
DeleteOn the bright side...Grow lights?
ReplyDeleteFor 20 years, it isn't likely to be solar power. Could be a navigational beacon. Or just plain old light pollution. The light does appear to be unusually bright. The reason will be interesting to know.
The Brighton Lighthouse? It's an idea!
DeleteThey switch them on only when you are looking in order to annoy you.
ReplyDeleteAnd they annoyed me again this morning. Still on.
DeleteSomebody has cash to spare. You'll have to give your Brighton green buddies a new cause. Now this would be well worth their time.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs kicking, that's for sure.
DeleteIf that building is the start up place, it is Tower Point. It may well be the tallest in the immediate area. The company that rents the office space is called Platf9rm! (true), not sure if they have all the floors though.
ReplyDeleteI'll look them up, thanks. They can expect a 'Mr Angry' letter.
DeleteYes, find out who owns the building and do a little shaming on their behalf. I don't think it is fair that they are allowed to do this while the regular populace is told to tighten its belts and turn off its lights.
ReplyDeleteExactly!
Delete