Light switch-off plan for Nottinghamshire put forward

A plan to dim or switch off more than 90,000 street lights in Nottinghamshire is to be considered by councillors.

The plan would see some street lights turned off between midnight and 0530 BST, others dimmed from 2200 to 0700 BST and some switched off completely.

The council estimated changes to the 93,000 lights would cut power use by about 25%, saving about £1.25m.

A similar plan was rejected in 2007 but officials said fears over safety had been addressed.

'Financial challenges'

The council said it intended to work closely with the emergency services and would monitor affected streets to make sure crime and road accident rates do not rise.

If the project is approved, work on the first affected lampposts will probably start by the end of this year and it will take three or four years to complete.

Councillor Richard Jackson, cabinet member for transport and highways, said: "We've looked very carefully at places where this has been done by other authorities. Their experiences show that collisions and crime don't increase and crime and accident black-spots will continue to be lit.

"With the financial challenges facing the council, this project would ensure that money is spent on keeping roads and pavements in good order rather than lighting scarcely used streets throughout the entire night."

The county council's cabinet will consider the scheme at its meeting on 8 September.