Plans unveiled to dim county street lights to 30 per cent after 8pm

Street lights could soon be dimmed across the county after 8pm
PHOTO Leicestershire County Council — Street lights could soon be dimmed across the county after 8pm PHOTO Leicestershire County Council

Members of Leicestershire County Council’s cabinet will consider adopting the proposals in the county next week which would also result in a huge energy use reduction and a saving of 315 tonnes in carbon emissions.

Advances in LED lighting - and their systems - mean the council has an opportunity to tweak lighting levels during less-busy periods.

Currently, all streetlights are lit to various levels across the county, some of which gradually dim through the night.

Should cabinet members agree, the authority will consult on dimming the majority of lights to levels of 30 per cent after 8pm, depending on the location.

Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Most people won’t notice any difference.

"It’s a simple step and it saves money.

"We already dim our lights so this proposal is looking at establishing minimum lighting levels.

“I want to be clear that we’re not proposing to turn off the lights completely so there’ll still be visibility and it shouldn’t impact on related issues, such as crime.

"The proposal also acknowledges that light pollution contributes to an increase in carbon emissions.”

A major element of the consultation on this preferred option, if approved, will be discussions with the emergency services and other key stakeholders, with light levels reflecting the specific characteristics of the area.

Subject to cabinet approval, consultation will be for four weeks and a report detailing the final proposed scheme will be brought back to members later this year.

Previously, the county council has converted streetlights to LED lighting and, more recently, introduced measures such as dimming lights, permanently switching off lights and part-night lighting.

These steps have reduced energy consumption from around 27mkwH in 2010-11 to 10m kwH in 2018-19 as the council looks to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the county by 2045.

Savings of more than £500,000 over the next four years and a large reduction in carbon emissions would be possible if the dimming plan goes ahead.

Cabinet will discuss the proposals when it meets on Friday, June 23 at 11am with the meeting shown live HERE.