Residents urged to have a say on saving money and energy over street lighting

PEOPLE IN a Yorkshire city are being urged to have their say on the most effective way to save money and energy on street lights as a council bids to expand a switch-off scheme.

Leeds City Council has launched a new consultation and is inviting opinions from individuals, groups and organisations.

The local authority is responsible for 92,000 street lights, which consume approximately £4m of electricity per year.

Since 2013, about 4,000 street lights in Leeds – around four per cent of the total – have been set for part-night operation, saving £136,000 per year in energy costs.

But now, the cash-starved council says it needs to find other ways to save money on street lights, as part of a wider cost-cutting drive.

The findings of the consultation will, says the authority, “help shape how the council can potentially make further savings through its street lights programme”.

Options being consulted on are: swapping a “significant proportion” of street lights to part night operation, where lights are turned off between midnight and 5.30am, or swapping all of the street lights to LED, or doing a mixture of both.

Other suggestions relating to saving money on street lights would also be “welcome”, according to the council.

Leeds Council’s executive member for regeneration, transport and planning, Coun Richard Lewis, said: “While this public consultation is aimed at helping us cut emissions and save money that can be invested in other essential council services, residents can be assured that road safety and the impact of crime will continue to remain key factors in the management and roll out of our street lighting programme.”

The final proposals will be considered by the council’s executive board at a meeting planned for March 2018.

More information about the consultation is available at www. leeds.gov.uk/SLC17.