New lighting for Sheffield’s Ponderosa Park to help keep people safe

Sheffield Council will install ‘innovative’ lighting at Ponderosa Park with £113,000 funding from the Home Office.

Officer Maxine Stavrianakos said: “The proposal is to provide innovative lighting to help improve feelings of safety among park users, women and girls in particular.

“Consultation noted a report that makes the case for innovative lighting solutions in public places, casting doubt over the effectiveness of traditional, bright-white, LED lighting.

“The group Our Bodies Our Streets felt strongly that innovation in lighting was key to improving the safety of women in parks.

“Ponderosa Park was highlighted by the group as a location where women had been victims of harassment and reported feeling unsafe.

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“We will consult with local people, groups and universities to agree on final lighting designs.”

Our Bodies, Our Streets say bright, white lights don’t make women feel safe, especially the ‘floodlit effect’ where there is a sharp drop off of light beyond the path with the potential for glare and contrast to disorientate.

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The group says women prefer warmly lit spaces with multiple, more subtle lights layered together and high quality LEDs so they can distinguish shapes and colours.

Our Bodies, Our Streets installed a wooden sculpture in the park to raise awareness about women’s safety but it was destroyed in an arson attack less than a month after being unveiled.

A fundraising campaign to replace the sculpture with a permanent one is underway.