In the Queen's Speech of November 23rd, 2004, Her Majesty announced that the Government would proceed with the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, intended to cover a number of issues of increasing public concern. The Act was passed in April 2005. This stems from a chain of events over the last three years: the "Night Blight" initiative of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), adding its considerable voice to that of the CfDS; the Science and Technology Select Committee's deliberations on light pollution in 2003; the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's decision to insert an additional light pollution clause in Planning Policy Statement 23; and DEFRA's consultation paper (2003) on the subject.
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 makes light nuisance subject to the same criminal law as noise and smells. It applies to "artificial light emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance". (section 102, Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, which amends section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990).