Southampton: Plans to switch off street lights at night

A consultation on the plans could be launched next week

Street lights might be turned off at nights as a council's energy bill could rise by almost £5m within months.

Lights across Southampton may be switched off for parts of the night in a move that would save Southampton City Council £450,000 a year.

The authority's own risk assessment of the plans has concluded that there is a "risk of actual crime" and "the risk of assault may be greater for women and girls".

But parts of the city might be exempt.

The plans have been put forward by the city council as part of the proposals to address the authority's £28.9m shortfall in next year's budget.

According to an official report, the council's annual cost of street lighting energy in 2021-22 was £954,000 but it is estimated this could go up to £3,017,000.

It comes as the council's overall energy bill could rise by £4.7m by the 2023-24 financial year.

Turning off some street lights could save Southampton City Council £450,000 a year

The city council said it did not intend to change lighting levels in areas of high footfall or major travel routes.

"We will consider developing an agile and comprehensive exceptions scheme so the city should not be subject to an increase in crime as a result of the proposal," the authority added in a statement.

Exemptions to the reduced lighting would be determined by things like an area's crime rates and levels of anti-social behaviour.

No decision has been taken yet and a public consultation could be launched next week .

'Fear of crime'

Turning street lights off at night could have a "disproportionate" impact on some city residents, including those with physical disability, elderly people and pregnant women, the council's risk assessment warned.

There is also a risk of "actual crime and the fear of crime increasing", according to the report.

However, the city council also pointed out that previous studies showed that reduced street lighting in England and Wales was not associated with road traffic collisions or crime.

In the latest community safety survey people in Southampton told the authority that street lighting was one of the key things that would make people feel safer.

Cabinet members will discuss the proposals on 8 November and a public consultation could run from 9 November until 10 January, 2023.