Star Count is paused for 2024

For more than a decade, CPRE’s Star Count has tracked the impact of light pollution on one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights.

A starry night sky is a thing of wonder but fewer and fewer people are able to enjoy one that is truly dark, something Star Count has revealed is now possible for less than 5% of people taking part around the UK. Unsurprisingly, the darkest skies are found in the most rural places. 

With a general election expected in 2024, next year will be make or break for our countryside. CPRE is committed to making sure rural voices are heard and the concerns they express are acted on. We’re focussing our energy on ensuring the next government is one that protects our countryside and works for rural communities. 

For this reason, we have decided to pause Star Count in 2024. This will let us target our finite resources and convince political leaders that the priorities in our manifesto are best for the country. 

We have been campaigning for policies to reduce light pollution since the 1990s and were instrumental in the creation of a national planning policy introduced in 2012 to control lighting levels. Although there will be no CPRE Star Count in 2024, we will remain an active member of the dark skies community and continue to advocate for reductions in light pollution.  

We will also redirect capacity to developing our work on tranquility, including a public perception survey and revisiting our current maps. We want everyone to be able to experience a tranquil countryside or green space, benefiting people now and in the future.