October 20, 2016 8.57 am This story is over 89 months old

Towns in south of Lincolnshire to have street lights switched off at midnight

Street lights in built up areas of Bourne, Stamford, Spalding and Boston will be switched off from midnight over the next few months. The changes form part of Lincolnshire County Council’s drive to have what it describes as “a more cost-effective approach to street lighting” across the county, with lights being switched off from midnight…
Photo: Lincolnshire Reporter

Street lights in built up areas of Bourne, Stamford, Spalding and Boston will be switched off from midnight over the next few months.

The changes form part of Lincolnshire County Council’s drive to have what it describes as “a more cost-effective approach to street lighting” across the county, with lights being switched off from midnight until 6am.

As previously reported, market towns such as Grantham, Sleaford, Caistor, Market Rasen and Louth have had their lights turned off from midnight in the last few months.

Lincolnshire County Council has said it wants to save £1.7 million from its annual £5 million street lighting budget.

The changes will affect approximately 38,000 street lights across the county.

Below is a list of when and where the changes will take place:

  • October – November: Bourne, Stamford, Colsterworth
  • October – Decemeber: Spalding, Holbeach, The Deepings
  • November – January: Boston, Gosberton, Sutton St James

Councillor Richard Davies, Executive Member for Highways and Transport at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “The council’s budget has been cut by more than £100 million over the last few years, and we need to save a further £41 million this year.

“We simply can’t afford to do everything we’ve done in the past.

“Street lights are expensive, and, frankly, many of them do not need to be on during the small hours of the morning – all they are doing is burning taxpayers’ money.

“The evidence shows that, by turning these lights off at times when there is less traffic, we can save money without affecting the majority of road users.

“And by saving money in this way, we can protect other vital areas, like the pothole budget.

“Of course, public safety remains an overriding concern, so at every location, we’ll give careful consideration to the effects of any reduction in lighting. In some places, changes won’t be appropriate, so we’ll keep things as they are.”