A row has erupted after residents in a Northumberland village complained the lights from a petrol station were ruining the area's 'world famous' night sky.
The service station at Thropton opened in November but disgruntled residents have called for it to close at night or shut down permanently over fears it is driving tourists away.
But others have hit back saying the petrol station, which also has a Spar, butchers and hot food deli, has too many advantages to close.
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The Metro reported one resident saying "This corner of Northumberland is world famous for its dark skies. It’s a real shame this accolade wasn’t considered when this came before the planners," while another raised fears it would have a detrimental impact on tourism in the area.
But the comments have been widely criticised by the wider community, with one community group saying a poll of residents revealed nearly 99% of residents supported the station.
One person said: "There is more light from the street lights than the garage" while someone else said: "We have great skies. It has far too many advantages to give it up now."
Another said: "I think the benefits of our new garage and convenience store far outweigh the impact of the lighting. I'm not sure how any of us managed before Thropton Spar came along."
One resident said: "Unbelievable.....Some people are never happy and always have to complain about something."
Thousands of people flock to Northumberland every year hoping to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, while the county was awarded Gold Tier status by the International Dark Sky Association.
Ian Glendinning, who is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and lives in the valley, said: "The only effect is in the immediate vicinity i.e maybe 100m in front of the shop.
"Once you get further back than that, the difference in the dark sky reading on the bortle scale using a meter is tiny. In the wider landscape, there are far brighter lights visible that do have an effect of sky clarity.
"It has no effect on the clarity of the milky way on a clear moonless night and it is not visible from the north.
"The lighting is directed downward and is extinguished when the premises close. Consider this - the reality is that astronomical observations on a wide landscape scale are dependent on a clear sky, no moon and lack of light pollution."
Local councillor Steven Bridgett said: "The development is not in the National Park. Thus it is not inside the dark sky area and its impact is negligible.
"The lighting that is there now is very conservative compared with what was proposed at the beginning of the planning process and the lights get switched off at 9pm when the store closes.
"The planning application was determined in line with national and local planning policies and the application was very much supported by the local community as it delivers the first petrol station in the Coquet Valley for many years and it means residents aren’t having to make a 20 mile round trip to fill up their cars.”
The Rothbury and Coquetdale Community Group carried out a poll on 400 residents and said 98-99% of people have no issue with the lights.
A Shell spokesperson said: "The site mentioned is a dealer owned site and they are aware of the complaint regarding lighting coming from this service station.
"The service station currently meets regulation requirements for light pollution.
"We are aware of the area being gold-tier for star-gazing, and are currently exploring suitable solutions to dim the lighting to address this concern."
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