Neath Port Talbot Residents are switched on to proposed public lighting savings

The proposal to dim lights and not switch them off will be considered by a meeting of the Environment and Highways Cabinet on January 28^th.

Councillors had previously agreed to save £50,000 this year by switching off 6,000 lights in residential areas during the quiet hours.

However, following ‘dimming’ trials over the last twelve months, it is now proposed to save energy by dimming rather than switching off lights.

The report sets out the findings of the trials and shows that reducing the power of the lights by 30 per cent would save the authority £50,000.

In a trial in Cimla, most residents had not even noticed the lights had been dimmed between 1am and dawn over a six month period.

Almost everyone agreed the exercise had not affected them and if it saved money for Neath Port Talbot Council then it should be extended across the county borough.

Initially three sites were chosen for the trial, one back lane and two footpaths. The aim was to see whether anyone noticed and whether it had an effect on the equipment itself. After the successful experiment it was decided to carry out a large-scale trial in Lower Cimla.

The residents’ survey which followed showed that 88 percent had not noticed the change and 95 per cent said it had had no effect on them.

Across Britain more than half a million street lights have been switched off because of financial cutbacks, and research has suggested that accidents rose where street lights were switched off.

Neath Port Talbot Council had made a decision some five years ago to invest in the public lighting stock to ensure it is electrically and structurally sound. The installation of new white lights means that the new equipment can be centrally controlled to provide for dimming of lamps, using less energy.

By the end of the project which is due to be completed in October next year, around 15,000 lighting units will have been renewed.

In addition to replacing old lights, columns and cables, the Council has agreed to invest another £800,000 in ‘LED’ lights as part of its new Forward Financial Plan. They will be installed in those areas with highest energy usage to save even more energy and reduce the Council’s costs.

Councillor Ali Thomas OBE, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said: “Rising energy costs and public lighting are an issue for many local authorities.

“We have carefully considered and planned how to tackle the situation in Neath Port Talbot, considering the ongoing challenging budget situation we are facing.

“We are committed to keep our streets well lit so that local residents feel safe in their communities and I am pleased to see that we can make energy savings without switching street lights off.”