Close to half of all streetlights in the South West England county of Wiltshire may be switched off, as council chiefs in the community debate on the best projects to save energy and money. At least 20,000 lights are at risk for being shut down, leaving many streets all over the county in the dark—that is, if council is unable to find a more sustainable lighting solution.
Lights in Wiltshire may be switched off between the hours of 12 midnight and 5:30 in the early morning in towns and rural areas all over the county. If no solution to this drastic measure is found, Wiltshire stands to become the first local authority in South West England to go from trail switch offs of lights, to a grand-scale shut down of streetlights. For many people in the area, it’s a gloomy return to the pre-Victorian days of total darkness.
According to a council spokesperson, Wiltshire has a little over 40,000 streetlights across the county, with most lights placed in areas where they are not needed. Despite negative feedback from other counties that have conduction similar switch offs of their streetlights on a smaller scale, rising energy costs, budget constraints, and carbon taxes have spurned the council to change their approach to lighting streets, this according to the council spokesman.
Estimates by the council show that the large-scale switch-off, which begins in 2013, will bring in roughly £300,000 (447,837.00 AUD) in electricity savings.
Opponents of the switch-off in council are clamouring for investments to be made in energy-efficient LED lighting, which are touted to save money, while still keeping all of the county’s streets lit at night. According to council opposition member Jon Hubbard, he believes that major savings can be made by retrofitting existing lights with LED lighting.
It’s a proposition that has already been submitted but turned down. As debate on the matter continues, Hubbard hopes for reconsideration.
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