Battle over Westminster’s gas lamps flickers back to life
THE battle to save Westminster’s gas lamps has been reignited as almost 100 lights are still at risk of being replaced by LED replicas.
Scores of gas lamps have illuminated the streets of London with a unique glow since 1812, but council officials have sought to swap their traditional flames for eco-friendly LED lights.
Now campaigners are seeking to block Westminster Council from replacing the 200-year-old lamps by securing special protection for each individual street light. Tim Bryars, who has sought to protect the gas lamps outside his business in Cecil Court in Westminster, said that individual applications have been made for each light to be given a Grade listing. Historic England will assess these applications and, if experts see fit, recommend that the Department of Culture Media and Sport afford the lamps listed status.
In 2022 Westminster Council began a process of replacing 300 gas-powered lamps with cheaper, eco-friendly replicas as part of a £6 million refit of street lighting. The plans were part of a raft of measures “aimed at making a positive contribution to reaching the Council’s zero carbon target by 2030”.
A backlash from campaigners including The Victorian Society, which advocates for the preservation of 19th century architecture, forced the council to pause its replacement plans after only around 30 lamps had been altered.
One of the objections to the council’s plans is that gas lamps provide a unique “Dickensian glow” which LED bulbs are not capable of. The Victorian Society’s conservation adviser, with Connor Mcneill, previously told The Daily Telegraph: “The council’s new lanterns do not convincingly replicate the Victorian designs they have replaced. Furthermore, we understand that the LED bulbs produce a much brighter and whiter light than the gas fittings they were promised to replicate.”
Gas lamps have been burning in London for more than 200 years, with sites such as Trafalgar Square and the Victoria Embankment bathed in a glow which would have been familiar to 19th century inhabitants of the capital.
‘The council’s new lanterns do not replicate the Victorian designs they have replaced’