IT is with interest I read of plans for nocturnal illumination of some of York's better known landmarks (October 4).

As noted this has become an increasing trend in recent years and unfortunately seems to be gaining a wide acceptance. Almost invariably such illumination involves upward-shining spotlights.

This scheme results in a large amount of wasted light, which of course simply goes to further obscure the most majestic of all night time attractions, the star studded sky itself.

York is lucky in the number of large open spaces it contains but these are already difficult to fully appreciate at night due to the surrounding light pollution.

The fact that these lights are being caused to fall onto walls at some height offers little in crime-deterring ground level illumination and can indeed cause deep shadows in which to lurk.

I would therefore urge those responsible for this scheme to consider if money could not be better spent, for example by supplying more easily accessible and freely available information about the site the tourists are viewing, or at the very least carefully designing their lighting schemes to minimise night-time pollution.

Ian Scott,

Alcuin Avenue,

York.

Updated: 11:25 Wednesday, October 06, 2004