The Spanish region loved by Brits that’s going to ‘switch off’ its lights at night

could be left in the dark as a new rule will see a favourite holiday hotspot dim its lights at night.

Lights in the southern region of Andalusia will be turned to a minimum after 11pm due to new rules.

The Governing Council has approved the Light Pollution Regulation that establishes night-time hours from 23:00 to 6:00, reports .

This means and cities will be reduced to a minimum.

The Council of Government approved the decree with the new Light Pollution Regulation of Andalusia.

To comply with the rules, all outdoor lighting installations will remain off except those necessary for specific and determined activities, and those required for safety reasons. 

At a minimum, street lighting, specific surveillance and night-time security lighting, and beaconing can be considered necessary for safety reasons, provided they serve areas with night-time use.

There will also be a special regulation of lighting during local festivals and Christmas in the hands of municipalities but always with a system that minimises light pollution and energy consumption.

Energy-saving methods should be used to light festivals and Christmas lights under the new rules.

Now approved, the idea faced much controversy and backlash during a lengthy negotiation.

Some mayors of municipalities pointed out that decorating their municipality with more lights can help increase during high season.

For , the new rules mean there will be strict timing on lighting and low energy consumption is a must.

For any areas which do not follow the rules, there will be fines of up to €30,000 (£25,000).

The Ministry of Environment, chaired by Catalina García, says that the night sky of Andalusia is a natural heritage threatened by light pollution generated by outdoor lighting installations or managed without sustainability criteria. 

It added that lighting can damage ecosystems and have a negative impact on the environment.