Plans to dim Wem's street lights at night move closer

Members of Wem Town Council have agreed to consider going out to tender for the scheme to convert its non-LED bulbs in street lights to LED dimmers in order to reduce its energy costs.

Although the scheme is expected to cost £60,000, councillors hope the savings in energy costs would be recouped within 10 years.

It is thought the lights would be reduced in brightness by 25 per cent from 8pm and a further 25 per cent at midnight before working at full capacity from 6am.

It would make the town the latest in Shropshire to make efforts to make street lighting more efficient.

In Oswestry the town council has already converted some of its lights to more efficient bulbs.

Meanwhile, Shrewsbury Town Council has changed a number of the bulbs used on lights to improve the illumination of pathways in the town while cutting down on light pollution.

It comes after Shropshire Council decided last year to switch off two-thirds of street lights that it was responsible for overnight as part of cost-cutting and energy-saving measures.

Some 12,500 of the 18,500 street lights owned by the council now work under the new part-night lighting system. The move was aimed at saving the council £125,000 a year in energy costs. The future of street lights belonging to Wem Town Council was discussed at the authority's latest amenities and services committee meeting.

Councillor Peter Broomhall said: "We have money to spend on these lights. At the moment we are having to pay every so often to repair the existing ones. They are quite old and need upgrading really.

"It is quite a big expense so we thought this was the best way of doing it."

Councillor Broomhall added the scheme will be discussed again by town councillors before they formally go out to tender.

Penny O'Hagan, clerk of Wem Town Council, said: "The town council has been advised that for a project of this nature and size it would be necessary to seek tenders for the works as per the town council's financial regulations. This would require a detailed specification for the replacement lights.

"A discussion took place on the financing of the lighting scheme which could be taken from the town council's reserves or financed through a public works loan board loan.

"An approximate cost of the scheme was estimated at £60,000, although the savings in energy costs would be recouped within 10 years.

"It was resolved to recommend that the clerk be instructed to draft a tender document for the replacement of the town council's remaining non LED streetlights to LED dimmable lights for consideration at the next meeting."