As part of the master plan for the Greater Ashford Area, Ray Dolby of Control Lighting Ltd was asked to provide a lighting solution to enhance the riverside walkway, linking the new Stour Centre Leisure Centre and Ashford International Railway Station.
Ray designed the lighting scheme according to the remit; provision of new exterior luminaires which would be fixed onto seven new street lighting columns positioned in the same location as the old columns, and with no extra resources for cabling or additional installation. The exterior luminaires had to be high brightness LED's, colour changing, provide directional light, and be waterproof and vandal proof. A total of 28 LED luminaires (4 per lighting column) were installed and each LED cluster individually controlled by the sophisticated lighting control system.
The new LED luminaires were focused on the walkway to provide 28 defined pools of coloured light. Using the latest in wireless technology to remotely control these luminaires, Control Lighting Ltd installed the custom control system in the adjacent Stour Centre Leisure Centre. The wireless solution uses advanced radio technology that uses adaptive frequencies to operate over clear radio channels.
The design of the new lighting scheme utilized energy efficient light sources – LED's which have an estimated average life of 100,000 hours. The custom control system incorporated automatic timeclock facilities to allow the luminaires to switch on before sunset and switch off at sunrise, therefore avoiding wastage. Light pollution was heavily considered and the LED luminaires specified matched the requirements as they are very directional onto the walkway. There is very little energy wastage as the light fittings emit negligible heat.
Control Lighting re-assured the Council's concerns on the running costs for the LED's, future repairs and maintenance costs, therefore provided a whole life maintenance cost report for the new lighting scheme. The electricity running costs have been reduced to 47 pence per day for the complete installation.
The colour scheme was designed in collaboration with the Council's Projects Division, and the colour pallet chosen was sensitive to the surrounding foliage and river and the particular seasons. The colour sequences ripple onto the walkway starting from one end of the walkway to the other; through 3 defined groups of colours, cyan to green shades, orange to yellow tones and blue to purple hues; and they follow an individual as they walk along the pathway. This has made the walkway a much talked about and safer environment for the local community. Recently a commuter commented that the lighting scheme has added a “vibrant visual element” during his daily walk along the footpath to the railway station.
