RESIDENTS are up in arms after discovering that all-night lighting for a new multi-storey car park (pictured) will shine into their homes. The new 813-space multi-storey station car park, built on the site of the former rough car park of St Albans City St

RESIDENTS are up in arms after discovering that all-night lighting for a new multi-storey car park (pictured) will shine into their homes.

The new 813-space multi-storey station car park, built on the site of the former rough car park of St Albans City Station in Victoria Street, is set to open next month.

Homeowners in Ridgmont Road and Lime Tree Place are worried about sleepless nights when the car park floodlights are illuminated. They claim the permanent lights on top of the east side of the car park are pointing straight at bedroom windows.

Les O'Leary of Ridgmont Residents Association said that the lights would be on all night and advice from the Institute of Lighting Engineers had suggested a clear case of light pollution.

He added: "The developer Linden Homes is not concerned. It said its only concern was building it. The council's planning department have approved the design without worrying about the lighting. There are a lot of lamps on the roof."

St Peters Ward councillor Michael Green has asked the developer to put up screens shielding nearby homes and wants the council's environmental health department to see if the lights breach legislation.

A spokesperson for the district council said lighting was not a specific issue considered when the application was approved in March 2004.

But she added that environmental health officers were investigating and if they found that the light levels were damaging to health or a nuisance, they could use the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to serve an abatement notice to the car park owner.

A spokesperson for Linden Homes said rail company Network Rail, who will to take over the building when it opens in May, were responsible for the car park lighting.

A spokesman for First Capital Connect (FCC) who will take over the car park from Linden Homes in May, said if there was a problem with the lighting, it was the developer's responsibility to resolve it.