Pensioner’s lights offer
Wednesday 19th November 2008, 12:45PM GMT.
Public-spirited Powys carer Mike Atherton is to pay almost £300 from his own pocket to have street lights switched back on in his village.
The 60-year-old said he was concerned that residents were being trapped in their homes once darkness fell because of Powys County Council’s cost-cutting move to switch off thousands of street lights across the county.
- See also: Petition to PM over street lighting
Mr Atherton, from Llangynog in the Tanat Valley, near Oswestry, said he was so concerned he was prepared to foot the bill himself.
A total of 9,000 lights are being turned off by the council in a bid to save £225,000 and reduce the authority’s carbon footprint.
But the move to turn off two out of three street lights has come under severe criticism from councillors, politicians and residents, who feel their safety is at risk.
Irresponsible
Mr Atherton said today: “The council has been totally irresponsible in switching so many lights off which is causing a severe threat to public safety.
“I believe the switch-off has left elderly and vulnerable people in real danger, trapped in their homes and deprived of any social life.
“The village car park is not lit which makes it difficult to use the only public telephone. It also affects holidaymakers staying in the caravan parks who don’t want to walk into a darkened village and it threatens the business of our two pubs and the evening paper round.
“The switch-off has a detrimental psychological effect on people, which is why I have offered to pay for the lights to go back on for Christmas and up until the end of March.
“I call upon Powys County Council to withdraw immediately these draconian measures and find more constructive ways of saving energy.”
Mr Atherton, a railway pensioner who currently works as a carer for Crossroads Mid & West Wales, met with Llangynog Community Council and Councillor Simon Baynes yesterday and said they supported him.
The community council will now contact the county council, with a hope the lights will be back on by December 1.
Councillor Gwilym Tibbott, community council chairman, said: “This is a generous offer and shows how the local community comes together to solve their problems.”
By Deborah Knox
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Councillor Gwilym Tibbott, community council chairman, said: “This is a generous offer and shows how the local community comes together to solve their problems.” Yes, Gwilym, that’s how to solve the problem: from their meagre pensions, get the “community” to pay Powys CC for a second time for something that they’ve already been taxed for. Good luck Mr. Atherton, it really is a marvellous gesture on your part, but Powys CC should be cringing with embarrassment at this consequence of their financial planning. It’s nothing to do with carbon footprints and everything to do with consequent lack of cash from bad investment strategy, with Powys CC having lost £4 million in shaky Icelandic banks recently. 10 hour’s interest on that money would have been more than enough to cover the £300 cost of turning the lights back on in Mr. Atherton’s village.
Report abuse
I was appalled at Llangynog Community Council’s decision to accept an offer of payment for the lights of the village to be switched on again in December from any individual, yet alone a pensioner. Have they no concept of the strength of feeling of the residents regarding the switching off of lights?
They are our elected representatives yet they never communicate with the residents of the village on any matters. It is not only the village that has been left in the dark but also the residents are kept in the dark.
There is enough money within the precept for the Community Council to pay for the lights to be switched back on and, if they care about the welfare of the residents, they should be requesting the switch on immediately. They have behaved disgracefully and should feel thoroughly ashamed.
Report abuse
I am unable to see to pick the dog mess up when we take our dog for a walk at night, and also in one particular area i cannot even see the pavement or where i am walking, and to make matters worse, the cars coming in the opposite direction are putting their headlights full on and then totally blinding me.
Report abuse
I live in Knighton.
Thanks to the lack of lights my 15 year old dog is unable to go for a long walk now due to the fact we can’t see since the lights have been switched off. She has cataracts in both eyes and is unable to see as clear and she will stop dead in her tracks if there is no lights. I am not always able to see to pick up her dog mess and do not like leaving it as someone may step in it! I have always been very good at clearing it up! If people say use a torch, you try to hold on to your dog, a torch and use a poop scoop at the same time!
I also find it quite unnerving walking home late at night out as many times I have come across people on the way home but as I can’t see their face I find it very intimidating especially if it is male.
I stongly belive that the crime rates will increase due to the lack of lights!
Report abuse
I THINK IT IS REALLY UNFAIR FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN RURAL TOWNS AND VILLAGES TO HAVE THEIR STREET LIGHTS TURNED OFF,I AM TOTALLY AGAINST IT.
Report abuse