Leicestershire street lights to be dimmed earlier

The council currently maintains approximately 69,600 street lights

Street lights across Leicestershire will be dimmed earlier in the evening as a council aims to cut costs.

The 18-month pilot scheme, approved by the county council's cabinet in December, will start this month.

Street lights will be dimmed to 30% from 20:00 rather than 22:00 as the authority works to balance its books.

But the plan has proven unpopular with residents, with more than half of those questioned saying they opposed the move.

A public consultation last year showed 53% of residents did not agree with the plans, citing fear of crime and general vulnerability as their key concerns, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

There are exemptions however, including zebra crossings, vertical traffic calming features such as speed bumps, and steps that are currently covered by lighting.

Some areas of town centres will also be exempt, the report said.

Lead member for transport and highways Ozzy O'Shea said more than 60,000 of streetlights across the county would be affected.

He said: "We're aware of the concerns and that's why we're looking initially at this 18-month pilot.

"We'll be constantly reviewing the data we receive and working closely with the emergency services. If there are areas of concern, we will consider adjusting the lights back if the evidence supports it.

"At the end of the pilot, we'll evaluate the data so our cabinet can then decide on the next steps."

The council says the emergency services have raised no objection to the plan

It comes as the authority announced this week it was still facing an £83m budget gap over the next four years despite having already identified £81m of savings.

Officers have said the council needs to make £500,000 worth of savings in the street lighting department alone by the 2024-25 financial year.

The plans, due to the exemptions proposed, will only cut about £380,000, meaning more service reductions could be on the cards.

The council also says the proposal could mean a carbon saving of about 260 tonnes.