Street lights will be switched off or dimmed

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As part of efforts to slash carbon emissions, cut down on light pollution and save money, the Council is moving forward with changes to street lighting.

A new three-pronged approach is being introduced. All households will find themselves in one of the following categories:

  • Switching off – lights will be permanently switched off, with a view to removal in the future. This will only be implemented on routes between towns with a small number of homes.
  • Dimming – lights will operate at 60 per cent of their normal strength to achieve savings whilst still providing lighting. This will be used where routes pass through local communities or where safety issues mean it isn't suitable to switch lighting off.
  • Part-night lighting – a process where lights automatically turn off at midnight and come back on between 5.30am-6.30am. This will mainly be used in housing estates.

The changes will be introduced over the next few weeks. The lights that will be turned off will mainly be on A or B roads between towns and villages.

Where there are a significant number of homes on a route then lights will remain switched on and may form part of the dimming or part-night exercises.

On stretches of road where the lights will be switched off, there will be clear signs warning people that the lights are not in use.

Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member in charge of environmental services, said: "These changes are just part of our ongoing drive to reduce our energy consumption across the Borough.

"I want to reassure residents that we will choose the most suitable approach for where they live.

"We have successfully trialled changes to street lighting in Wilmslow where 80 per cent of the local community was behind the scheme.

"There is absolutely no evidence that switching off street lights on stretches of roads has a detrimental effect on road safety and, in fact, has improved road safety in many areas. "

Cheshire East Highways has consulted with Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service regarding the proposals. Both organisations have made no adverse comments regarding the scheme. The Authority has also written to all town and parish councils to inform them on how the changes could affect their area.

Click here to find out how street lighting changes affect you.

Tags:
Cheshire East Council, Street Lights
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Julia Prestbury
Friday 23rd November 2012 at 11:33 am
Sorry but I think this is a bad idea. Having driven through Cheadle Hulme yesterday evening and witnessed for the first time their new dimmed lighting, I thought it was not good at all, particularly as the weather was bad, windy and raining, visibility was noticeably poorer.
Robert Langham
Friday 23rd November 2012 at 11:54 am
Why have many street lights been switched off in Wilmslow? Is this part of a rolling program or poor maintenance? There are 6 street lights off between the Coach & Four Pub and Kings Arms roundabout. This is including not lighting one side of the pelican crossing and the crossing street light at Kings Arms/Knutsford Road. Over ten lamps are off in the council car park next to Sainsburys @ 6pm. Just start counting the 'out' lights tonight.
Vince Chadwick
Friday 23rd November 2012 at 11:55 am
I think it's an excellent idea. Saves power, and cuts down on light pollution. And stats show it's actually safer.
Rob Sawyer
Friday 23rd November 2012 at 10:42 pm
I support any moves to reduce energy use and light pollution but any alterations to street lighting need thorough risk assessment which I hope/trust will have been carried out. There is no mention in the article of bunches of lights or alternate lights being switched but I have noted the lights off on Alderley Road that Robert Langham refers to. If this is part of the trial then it will create areas of "shadow" alternating with brighter areas - surely not best practice near jucntions and pedestrian crossings. Maybe CEC can advise if these are just faulty?

Interestingly the CEC website notes: "Well lit roads not only help to reduce traffic accidents but also help in reducing crime, and the fear of crime, against people and their property." ( http://www.cheshireeasthighways.org/Streets-and-Traffic/Street-Lighting.aspx )

For genuine long-term energy and cost savings a switch to LED lighting technology may be the way forward.
Helena Hodgson
Tuesday 27th November 2012 at 2:45 pm
I feel people in favour of this may be a little short sighted. One of the main factors of the Crime and Disorder Act was looking at the condition of street lighting as a main factor to prevent crimes such as burglary and robbery. As someone who worked in the inner cities, improved street lighting was a very effective way or reducing crime. In these times of austerity are we saying that we don't envisage negative any impact on crime levels? Having walked along both Moor Lane and Knutsford Road, recently in the evening I was shocked at how dark it was. Will this in itself not deter people from walking in the evening, therefore increasing the carbon footprints of those people who feel they have no alternative but to use their cars for safety reasons? I feel this is simply a measure of cost cutting at the expense of the safety of residents and it will be interesting to see the impact on our personal safety.
John Woodhouse
Tuesday 27th November 2012 at 2:55 pm
The present state of street lighting in this area appears to be fairly chaotic at present, with some lights on during the day and others off in the evening. Presumably this has somethng to do with the installation of the new radio-controlled sections of lighting, and will hopefully settle down into a sensible schedule.
I am in favour of saving power - though not in the misguided view that we can thereby prevent the planet warming! - but will this presently proposed scheme be revised as the newer LED lamps become more widespread? The ones on the experimental parts of the bypass seem to work well, so hopefully we can expect them to gradually take over from the present ones elsewhere.
Raymond Acton
Tuesday 27th November 2012 at 3:11 pm
Gosh! If this move is such a good idea,I would like to know who was responsible for inventing street lighting some time ago.
Alison Warburton
Tuesday 27th November 2012 at 6:05 pm
I agree with Helena and that its not just about saving energy but a major consideration has to be safety ... dark housing estates will make it easier for crime - incl burglary and possible assault. Dimmer lighting maybe but no lighting in residential areas would be a very bad idea. Street lighting seems an important service we pay our council tax for.
Tress Attwell
Tuesday 27th November 2012 at 8:52 pm
The street lighting in Adlington Road (speed limit 40mph) has already been dimmed since early summer as over 8 lights do not work at all. The faults have been reported to the council several times but no action has been taken. Those either side of the narrow bridge over the river Bollin do not work which makes it very dangerous for those who do not know the road.
Robert Langham
Wednesday 28th November 2012 at 7:59 am
Reported streetlight not working on the Kings Arms roundabout on 21st January 2012 - it had just been hit by a car. Streetlight still not working. It would be interesting to know what percentage of streetlights in Wilmslow are not working - I thought this was now Cheshire East Council’s new highways service provider 'Ringway Jacobs' responsibility. Does the terms of the £75 million contact allow CEC to withhold money for not carrying out repairs promptly?
Peter Davenport
Wednesday 28th November 2012 at 4:43 pm
I am totally bemused re Cheshire East and LED lighting to change "our carbon output". Having read about this idea in the local paper, and it is laudable, I go down Grove Street, a few days later, temperature 3.5 Centigrade, and virtually every shop door is wide open. So much for saving carbon emissions. Only one shop in Wilmslow, has a notice to the fact that keeping the door closed is better for all reasons and tat is the new Costa! Come on Cheshire East , stop the shops spoiling your good work!
Peter Davenport