Southend’s green approach to street lighting “a shining example” to other parts of UK

August 22, 2016 by Southend Borough Council Press Release

Southend’s green approach to street lighting “a shining example” to other parts of UK

Tuesday 23rd August 2016

An ambitious two-year project to light up the Borough with energy-efficient LED lamps has now passed the half-way mark, slashing the Council’s spend on energy and shrinking its carbon footprint.

The ground-breaking £13.5* million project – the first of its kind in England to be part-financed through the Green Investment Bank – is on target to complete on schedule by August 2017.

Once complete, it is projected to deliver significant savings, enabling Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to keep street lights on throughout the night, keep Council finances in better shape to provide other essential Council services whilst reducing carbon emissions and light pollution.

The forward-looking invest-to save approach is enabling the Borough to deal with budget pressures without having to turn off street lights during the night, which can give rise to concerns over road safety and increased fear of crime.

So far, more than 7,000 of the Council’s 14,000 street lighting columns have been modified or replaced with new lighting units installed.

At the same time, new Central Government guidance on illuminated ‘street furniture’ – primarily signs and bollards – means that many electrically lit signs will soon be replaced by ultra-reflective signs, commonly used in other parts of Europe.

Cllr Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Transport, Waste and Cleansing, said: “This is a welcome milestone and a shining example of how investment in green technology can pay both financial and environmental dividends.

“The new lights are proving really popular with most local residents. Many are commenting on the improvement in quality of the light, which is whiter, brighter and more targeted than traditional street lights so that it stays on the road rather than spilling into properties.

“Rationalising how we position and light up bollards and signage throughout the borough will boost our environmental credentials even further.

“I now look forward the successful delivery of the rest of the project and invite other authorities to get in touch with us so that we can share what we have learnt.”