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.
Comments
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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.
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.
Peter Davenport