Criticism over lights switch-off at crash hotspot

The county council hopes switching off the lights will cut carbon emissions by 76 tonnes annually

A call has been made for a rethink of plans to switch off streetlights along a stretch of road notorious for crashes.

Norfolk County Council made the decision to switch off about 1,000 lights across the county to save £200,000 and cut carbon emissions by 76 tonnes a year.

Lights will go dark on the B1145 Lynn Road/Gayton Road between Mintlyn Wood Road and east of Chilver House Lane, at Bawsey, near King's Lynn, where there have been two serious accidents in the past six months – both happening between 23:00 BST and 01:00 BST.

Council member Alexandra Kemp said turning off the lights would put drivers at risk.

Alexandra Kemp said the proposal to turn off lights along the Bawsey Dips, known for its humps, would put drivers at risk

Ms Kemp, an independent member for Clenchwarton and King’s Lynn South, said the council had a "poor attitude to road safety" in west Norfolk.

She said she was worried about the risks of having no lights on the Bawsey Dips, a stretch of road near King’s Lynn known for its humps, and the impact on traffic in the area from a major development in West Winch for 1,100 new homes.

"They need to keep the Bawsey lights. If you take them away, you will put everyone at risk and increase accidents," she said.

Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, stood by the plans and said all proposed locations would be risk-assessed with Norfolk Police.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We appreciate that there may be some concern... [but] the safety assessment at Bawsey hasn’t highlighted any specific concerns.

"Industry guidelines do not require lighting for roads with a dip or bend, and there are similar instances in Norfolk where these features are unlit."

Mr Plant said safety measures on the road included a 50mph speed limit and continuous white lines to discourage overtaking.