COUNCIL REASSURES RESIDENTS

Nottinghamshire County Council has moved swiftly to reassure residents who are worried about its plans to save money by turning off and dimming streetlights. The Council hopes to save £1 million every year by switching off most lights in residential areas between midnight and 5.30am.
By switching off or dimming lights, the Council expects to save 26% of the energy currently used. The cost of altering the lights will be £3.22m so the project is expected to pay for itself in just a few years.
Councillor Richard Jackson, the County Council’s cabinet member for transport and highways, said: “There’s a lot of scare-mongering going on surrounding the streetlight scheme with some people claiming – without foundation – that crime and road accidents are bound to increase.
“We’ve looked very carefully at other councils throughout the country who’ve already carried out similar schemes to learn from their experiences – and they have told us that collisions and crime don’t increase.”