Monday 17-11-2025 - 16:05

 

 

 

As part of my manifesto pledge on making town safer for students, I want to find out which parts of the city make you feel unsafe.  
 

 

In order to do this, I’ve got together a big map of Lancaster (exciting) and some stickers (also exciting) to create a visual depiction of areas in the city that are badly lit. 

Alongside this, there will also be a “suggestion box” for people to tell us more about any experiences they’ve had in Lancaster that are related to or as a result of poor street lighting.  

Once we’ve got enough information, we’ll be organising a walk in the dark around Lancaster to find and take pictures of areas that have been identified as problematic. The end goal is to take all of the evidence we’ve collected to Lancaster City Council and push for better street lighting in Lancaster. As part of this, I’ve begun to have conversations with students about ways to light the city safely and sustainably, reducing the environmental impact of artificial light while improving the experiences of students walking through Lancaster in the dark.  

Why are we doing this?  
Although it significantly lacked input from students, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s survey on understanding violence against women and girls provided some illuminating insights on the reasons that people might feel unsafe in Lancaster.  

•     67% of respondents said they avoid travelling alone by darker hours.  
•     46% said they choose not to go out in the dark at all to avoid feeling unsafe.  
•     18% said that street lighting would make Lancashire feel safer.  
•     2/3 of our students live off-campus, and those that don’t will still participate in the nighttime economy.  

Whether it’s walking home from Bowerham Hotel bus stop at 5pm after a day of lectures in December, stumbling back at 3am after a night out with friends, or nipping out to a cornershop at 8pm because you want a cup of tea and ran out of milk, traversing Lancaster in the dark is something we’ve all had to do.  
I want students to be able to do this without fear of harassment.   

How can you get involved? 
Come down to LUSU in Bowland Main and put a sticker on the map to show me where in Lancaster you’ve felt unsafe and – if you can – use the slips to give us more details.  
Keep an eye on my Instagram (@lusuwellbeing) for any updates!