Council in £2m tie-up with firm for energy-efficient street lights
A SPECIALIST company has been appointed to carry out a £2m programme of work to install energyefficient street lighting across the Bradford district.
Bradford Council has announced that it has signed up Costain, a firm which specialises in projects linked to energy, water and transport, to manage the street lighting overhaul.
The council’s Smart Street Lighting project will see 59,000 lights upgraded with new LED units and 17,000 lampposts replaced across the district.
The new street lights will also be controllable remotely to adjust the times which they operate.
The executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, Coun Alex Ross-Shaw, said: “Bradford’s Smart Street Lighting programme represents a major investment in one of the biggest assets of the council – our 59,000 street lighting columns.
“The ability to ensure effective delivery of the contract was paramount to drive both the financial savings and the positive contribution to our carbon dioxide emissions which are key outputs over the next five years.
“The appointment of Costain to the strategic delivery partner role has given Bradford the confidence that we have the right people helping us achieve these outcomes.”
The project will reduce the council’s street lighting power consumption by 65 per cent and its carbon emissions by more than 6,000 tonnes per year, making a significant contribution to the authority’s work to tackle climate change.
The upgrade is also due to save the district’s taxpayers an estimated £189m in costs during a 50-year period.
Bradford Council declared a climate emergency in January last year and confirmed it is part of a drive by the Leeds City Region to become carbon neutral by 2038.
The authority announced in January that it is investing an extra £1m over the next year as part of £25m package of funding to tackle climate change across the district.