Dark skies bid for Yorkshire Dales to go in this month

Its members heard at their annual general meeting that more than 400 light measurements had been taken at night across 290 locations in the Dales in the last few months, and that at least 100 had met the criteria for a Dark Sky Reserve – which requires that the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye and not reduced by glare and light pollution.

Dark Sky Reserve status – which has been certified in only 16 locations in the world – is seen as a driver of tourism to the area and would apply to around a third of the National Park, taking in the upper ends of Swaledale, Rawthey Valley, Garsdale, Littondale and Wharfedale, as well as area around Hawes though not the town itself.

Jill McMullon, a councillor in Hawes, had earlier welcomed the application to the US-based International Dark Sky Association, founded by astronomers and environmentalists to preserve areas with exceptional night visibility.

“The timing of this couldn’t be better,” Ms McMullon said. “Hopefully it will bring in more trade to the area and visitors as well.”

Nick Cotton, the National Park Authority’s “member champion” for recreation management, said international recognition would help preserve the quality of the night sky in the Dales.

“The dark sky in the National Park has been recognised as one of its special qualities for many years. Now we’ve got the data to back it up,” he said.

“On a clear winter’s night you can see the Milky Way, planets, shooting stars and sometimes even the Northern Lights.

“People will come to stay in the National Park for that.”

The authority has also adopted a “light management plan” to restrict the use of external lighting which could impact on nighttime visibility.

The Dales would become the fourth National Park in England to become a Dark Sky Reserve, after Northumberland, Exmoor and The South Downs. Parts of Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons in Wales, and Kerry in Ireland have previously been designated, along with the wide open expanse of central Idaho in the western US.

A dark skies festival is already run in the Dales in conjunction with local businesses, and in February, firms in the area launched an appeal for pledges of support for the application. Some 424 have been signed, and Mr Cotton urged those parish councils in the area who had not already signed it, to do so.

“Dark Sky Reserve status will help us gain international recognition. It has the potential to boost the tourism economy, too,” he said.

Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire county councils and Natural England have also sent letters of support for the application.

Kathryn Beardmore, the Dales authority’s director of park services, had earlier welcomed the plan. “To achieve this in 2020 would give us, our communities and businesses something to really celebrate in what is going to continue to be a very difficult year,” she said.

The bid document is now being finalised before being send to the International Dark-Sky Association headquarters in Tucson, Arizona.

It has given dark sky status to 142 places around the world in four categories bases on their size, with Dark Sky Parks and Sanctuaries at the smaller end of the scale.

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