Safety concerns over plans for dimmed streetlights

Dimming streetlights could save money, but it is being opposed on safety grounds

Plans to make streetlights dimmer are set to go ahead despite fears they could make streets less safe at night.

Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) leaders are proposing to dim street lights by 10% as part of plans to save money and reduce emissions.

The council said "good visibility" would still be maintained.

But residents claimed the switch to energy efficient LED lights in 2016 has already made the streets less safe, and that dimming them will exacerbate the problem.

Residents said the switch to LED streetlights had already made streets darker

The plans are part of the council's budget proposals, which will be debated and voted on at a special meeting on 21 February.

The council asked people to share their views about the plans for streetlights.

One person said there were "already too many dark places for a woman to walk alone at night", with another saying it "could cause issues when there are already attacks and violence taking place".

Another said the plans were a "joke".

"The new lights offer pools of light amongst a sea of darkness," they said.

One person did agree with the plan, saying that moves to reduce carbon emissions are "no brainers".

BFC's executive director for place and planning, Andrew Hunter, said councils dimming lights to save money and reduce emissions was "common".

A spokesperson for BFC said "good visibility" would be maintained, and that the plans could save taxpayers more than £50,000 a year - money that could be spent "in other vital services for local people".

The executive committee of councillors are set to meet on Tuesday to agree to recommend the proposals to the rest of the council.