Thousands of street lights will be turned off to save money and energy, a council announced today. Cabinet members at Torfaen Council, in south Wales, have agreed to install timer switches on 35 per cent of street lights in the area. The move will see 4,600 lights switched off between midnight and 5.30am. Approval was also given to switching off 1,800 street lights along A and B roads. Main junctions and roundabouts will still be illuminated. Around 4,140 lights will also be decommissioned in some residential areas from next spring. This would equate to one in every three being left on. It is estimated the package of measures would save around £450,000 a year. Councillor John Cunningham, executive member for operational services, said: 'We were left with no choice but to approve these measures because of the budgetary and environmental pressures. 'We believe the measures are the best possible outcome under the tough financial circumstances we are faced with. 'Again, I would like to emphasise that no residential area will be plunged into complete darkness.' Residents can have their say about where lights should be switched off in residential areas by taking part in a consultation exercise until January 31. But in order to meet the financial savings, the Council says it will be necessary to begin the programme of decommissioning on the main A and B roads in January. There are 13,344 street lights in the borough which cost £400,000 to power in the last financial year. This is estimated to soar to approximately £900,000 in 2009/10 and the council said it did not want to pass the spiralling cost of powering the lights on to the taxpayer.
Thousands of street lights will be turned off to save money and energy, a council announced today. Cabinet members at Torfaen Council, in south Wales, have agreed to install timer switches on 35 per cent of street lights in the area. The move will see 4,600 lights switched off between midnight and 5.30am. Approval was also given to switching off 1,800 street lights along A and B roads. Main junctions and roundabouts will still be illuminated. Around 4,140 lights will also be decommissioned in some residential areas from next spring. This would equate to one in every three being left on. It is estimated the package of measures would save around £450,000 a year. Councillor John Cunningham, executive member for operational services, said: 'We were left with no choice but to approve these measures because of the budgetary and environmental pressures. 'We believe the measures are the best possible outcome under the tough financial circumstances we are faced with. 'Again, I would like to emphasise that no residential area will be plunged into complete darkness.' Residents can have their say about where lights should be switched off in residential areas by taking part in a consultation exercise until January 31. But in order to meet the financial savings, the Council says it will be necessary to begin the programme of decommissioning on the main A and B roads in January. There are 13,344 street lights in the borough which cost £400,000 to power in the last financial year. This is estimated to soar to approximately £900,000 in 2009/10 and the council said it did not want to pass the spiralling cost of powering the lights on to the taxpayer.
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