Officials take dim view over streetlight reduction

COUNCILS ACROSS the country have come under fire over plans to switch off a percentage of their region's street lighting in a bid to save money.

Buckinghamshire County Council has turned off 1,600 of the 28,000 street lights around the county, saving about £700,000 a year, while Shropshire Council said turning down its 19,000 street lamps would reduce its electricity bill, too.

Similar schemes have already started or are planned across the UK in areas including Swansea, Essex, Leicestershire, Devon and parts of Yorkshire.

However, the energy-saving move has come in for sharp criticism from road safety officials. The Commons Transport Select Committee chairwoman Louise Ellman said road safety could be compromised by turning off street lights across the country.

"I am extremely concerned that financial pressures are leading to steps which can jeopardise peoples lives and increase the number of injuries," said Mrs Ellman.

"We've made great progress in recent years in reducing the number of deaths and injuries on our roads. It would be tragic if by switching the lights off that progress was to be put back many years."