Church Stretton street lights will be switched off in pilot project
Friday 16th September 2011, 1:14PM BST.
Street lights will be turned off at night in parts of Church Stretton from October 1, in the first such pilot scheme in the county it was revealed today.
Shropshire Council and Church Stretton Town Council hope the scheme at the Battlefield Estate and its four approach roads will save both cash and carbon.
If successful, it will clear the way for further schemes to be rolled out across the majority of Shropshire Council’s 18,500 street lights.
The Church Stretton project, which will see lights switched off between midnight and 5.30am, has the backing of the town council and police. Town centre lights will be unaffected.
Councillor Mike Walker of Church Stretton Town Council said: “I can assure residents that we have thought very carefully about every single light and whether it needs to be on in the middle of the night or not. In areas where elderly or vulnerable people live we are being cautious and keeping the lights on at road junctions.”
Ellesmere Town Council last week objected to a pilot of the scheme there amid concerns about crime and safety. Superintendent Pete Lightwood, chairman of the Safer Stronger Communities Partnership, said that in other parts of the country where similar schemes run, there is no evidence crime has risen as a result.
Shropshire Council cabinet member Simon Jones said: “This is a great opportunity for us all to do our bit for the environment, and help the council save money at the same time.”
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Shrewsbury’s broadband speed one of slowest in UK
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
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
Fantastic news!!
I never see the point of having street lights on past 10 or 11 at evening anyway. Town centres I would agree with having them kept on
At least this way with will get to see the night sky in all its splendor with the lake of light pollution.
Report abuse
Well done, this is great news and it has made my day.
Go outside and take a look at the stars, if the sky is clear, and be amazed.
Anyone who has to go out – LED head lamps are incredibly cheap and leave your hands free to grab keys from pockets, etc.
All the very best with this project, and watch how the yobs disappear from street corners because it is too dark to loiter!
Report abuse
As a resident of the town I welcome this. Street lights on all night creates unnecessary light pollution and is a waste of money and energy.
Report abuse
A friend who lives elsewhere has had this happen by him and the vandalism at night has grown 10 fold, leave the lights on in residential areas.
Report abuse
Would it not be better to deal with the cause of the vandalism (ie the vandals) than mere deter it by leaving lights on?
Report abuse
If this is a “pilot” project, I’m rather concerned how these pilots are going to know where to land if the lights are turned off at night!
Report abuse
Good idea
I support this
Report abuse
Excellent decision. The sooner this is rolled out across the rest of Shropshire the better. Plenty of other places in the UK have already experimented with positive results.
Report abuse
They all go to bed in Church Stretton at 9.30pm anyway – bless ‘em
Seriously – bring it on everywhere – and a 20mph speed limit in towns and built up areas
Report abuse
From the M6 join the M54 and there are lights everywhere along the motorway, 4 lines of them, when you go past the turning to Wolverhampton, there are no lights on till you reach Telford. So why are they on just wasting energy. Well done Church Stretton.
Report abuse
i support this too!
Report abuse
im spartacus!
Report abuse
dont even have any where i live (cantlop) and i wouldnt want them they ruin the night sky
Report abuse
From what I read, it looks like main roads will remain on or be dimmed. Hopefully this includes Shrewsbury’s main urban routes, but if not, 12.30-5.30am would be good for us night workers.
Report abuse