Post by Madhatter on Feb 15, 2012 16:57:54 GMT
Street lighting in some areas of Atherstone will be turned off in a county plan to save money. This article on Nuneaton explains more
County won't pull the plug
by MORT BIRCH
NUNEATON town centre will escape when the cost cutting county council pulls the plug on street lighting across Warwickshire.
All of the lighting will stay on to protect the pedestrianised areas and the people who contribute to the `nighttime economy’.
But the powers-that-be at Shire Hall have confirmed they are to go ahead with controversial plans to plunge whole communities into darkness from next year.
Around 80 per cent of the street lights in the county will be switched off between midnight and 5.30am from next April.
The switch-off has already been condemned by Councillor Dennis Harvey, leader of the borough council, who described it as `dangerous and appalling,’
He fears that lives will be put at risk: “I am appalled that they will endanger lives like this,” he said. “I cannot believe that they don’t realise that people are still out after midnight or go to work early in the morning.”
The council leader added: “Imagine how much more crime could potentially take place as well as the fear of crime rising. It is shocking what they are trying to do.”
Neighbourhood Watch members have also expressed concerns about the street lighting switch off that will costs £1.6m to implement and then save the county council £500,000 each year.
They, too, are worried that it will lead to an increase in crime and have expressed the hope that the lights will be turned back on if that happens.
So far, the county council has not identified exactly where the lights will go off, although it has stated that areas with CCTV will not be affected, but it has said it will look at each area on a case-by-case basis and take major junctions into account.
Over the next three years, street lighting columns will be fitted with new sensors so they go off between midnight at 5.30am.
The government is bringing in a carbon reduction commitment for local authorities which will be a charge of £12 per tonne of C02 used.
But a spokesman at Shire Hall said there will be a `huge environmental benefit’ in switching off the street lights because it will reduce the electricity we consume powering our street lights and illuminated signs which currently produces around 15,000 tonnes of C02 per annum
The spokesman added: “By introducing this measure we produce even more saving for the taxpayers and there is a huge environmental benefit.”
He added there would be a capital spend of £1.6 million installing equipment to enable the operating regime of the street lights from all night to parts of the night.
www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/News/County-wont-pull-the-plug-14022012.htm
County won't pull the plug
by MORT BIRCH
NUNEATON town centre will escape when the cost cutting county council pulls the plug on street lighting across Warwickshire.
All of the lighting will stay on to protect the pedestrianised areas and the people who contribute to the `nighttime economy’.
But the powers-that-be at Shire Hall have confirmed they are to go ahead with controversial plans to plunge whole communities into darkness from next year.
Around 80 per cent of the street lights in the county will be switched off between midnight and 5.30am from next April.
The switch-off has already been condemned by Councillor Dennis Harvey, leader of the borough council, who described it as `dangerous and appalling,’
He fears that lives will be put at risk: “I am appalled that they will endanger lives like this,” he said. “I cannot believe that they don’t realise that people are still out after midnight or go to work early in the morning.”
The council leader added: “Imagine how much more crime could potentially take place as well as the fear of crime rising. It is shocking what they are trying to do.”
Neighbourhood Watch members have also expressed concerns about the street lighting switch off that will costs £1.6m to implement and then save the county council £500,000 each year.
They, too, are worried that it will lead to an increase in crime and have expressed the hope that the lights will be turned back on if that happens.
So far, the county council has not identified exactly where the lights will go off, although it has stated that areas with CCTV will not be affected, but it has said it will look at each area on a case-by-case basis and take major junctions into account.
Over the next three years, street lighting columns will be fitted with new sensors so they go off between midnight at 5.30am.
The government is bringing in a carbon reduction commitment for local authorities which will be a charge of £12 per tonne of C02 used.
But a spokesman at Shire Hall said there will be a `huge environmental benefit’ in switching off the street lights because it will reduce the electricity we consume powering our street lights and illuminated signs which currently produces around 15,000 tonnes of C02 per annum
The spokesman added: “By introducing this measure we produce even more saving for the taxpayers and there is a huge environmental benefit.”
He added there would be a capital spend of £1.6 million installing equipment to enable the operating regime of the street lights from all night to parts of the night.
www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/News/County-wont-pull-the-plug-14022012.htm
