Lights to go out on Chippenham's main roads
By Lois_Avery | Thursday, February 10, 2011, 16:45
Several main roads in Chippenham will be plunged into darkness at night as Wiltshire Council takes steps to cut costs by saving on their electricity bills.
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Pic courtesy of Wiltshire Council
The A350 West Cepen Way, the A4 around Pewsham, Avenue La Fleche and the A4 between Corsham and Box will have their street lighting switched off between midnight and 6am under the new plans, which look set to launch in the summer.
Across the county 400 main street lights will be switched off part-time in an effort to cut costs.
Villages could also be affected – the council has said it’s working with local communities to convert village lights to only operate for part of the night.
According to the council the plans will only affect main roads where there are generally no properties or junctions.
They would be switched off between midnight and 6am when traffic flows are low and there is less need for the lighting.
The move will save more than £9,400 per year at the current price of electricity.
This could mean savings of more that £300,000 over the next 25 years.
Dick Tonge, cabinet member for highways, said: “We have had an excellent response to this initiative with many communities coming forward with schemes.
“Many people feel very strongly that we should be saving energy for a variety of reasons. Some want to reduce light pollution while others want to help the council save money to protect other services.
“This scheme might only make a small contribution but every little counts. If anyone would like help with a scheme they should contact their local area board which will be able to give them more details.”
Keep an eye out for temporary signs over the coming months, which will be in place to advise motorists the lights will be turned off for part of the night. What do you think about the plans?
Will it make for unsafe roads? Or is it a good cost-effective method? Let us know...
Comments
I think its splitting hairs , is crime really going to go up, if you dont have street lights, I struggle to see that , most crime 80% is low level anti social rubbish, and as such i am not convinced that much of this is as likely to happen as the streets are lit, and therefore easier for teens/kids to hang about on, causing low level problems. Have you thought if they are not lit, and its less welcoming to be on the street, that there might actually be less problems ?
By jonnyboy012 at 22:13 on 13/02/11
ReportI thnk lights on housing estates should be left on for safety of the people who live there, and thats in relation to Crime not traffic.
We should be turning off lights on all roads where there are no properties. Cars have headlights after all.
By mjhudston at 08:52 on 12/02/11
ReportWhy only main roads? There are many, many more street lights on low traffic housing estates.
If they left the lights at street junctions on, and turned every other light on the straight sections of roads off after midnight that would save much more money.
By We55exMario at 07:59 on 11/02/11
Report