Making light work of saving £200,000 every year in Bath
Hi-tech new street lights will save the taxpayer £200,000 a year in Bath.
Council chiefs have reached the halfway point in replacing many of its conventional street lights with reactive LED technology.
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PICTURE: Lloyd Ellington
But they are also switching off the lights on stretches of two rural main roads in a money-saving experiment.
Bath and North East Somerset Council is converting a quarter of its 16,000 street lights after a successful trial at Hicks Gate near Keynsham, where the roundabout became one of the first routes in the country to be lit in this way.
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The new lights will eventually reduce carbon emissions by nearly 800 tonnes per year – equivalent to three per cent of the council's total carbon footprint.
Two thousand lights have already been replaced out of the 4,000 which are being targeted.
Cabinet member for transport Councillor Roger Symonds (Lib Dem, Combe Down) said: "LED is a technology which provides safer roads because the lights are brighter and gives the council the opportunity to save substantial amounts of local taxpayers' money. This supports our priority to protect essential frontline services as much as we can, especially bearing in mind the soaring costs of energy contracts.
"The lighting uses extremely clever dimming technology to reduce lighting levels according to the amount of traffic using the road. It is a terrific example of the council improving a service to the public while saving money and it is also good for the environment. We are on schedule to complete a full roll-out of the LED lighting by spring next year."
B&NES said it had "identified a limited number of highway locations that may not require lighting at all, taking into account their accident records".
Among them are relatively straight sections of road with few homes nearby on the A367 at Peasedown St John and the A4 near Corston.
B&NES said: "A six-month trial will take place experimenting without lights at these locations. This will consider whether road safety becomes a significant issue. If successful, the trial will become permanent. If problems become apparent, the existing lights will be replaced by LED technology."
Neighbouring Wiltshire Council has switched off lights along some of its main roads, including the A4 near Corsham.
Comments
by Ilovespaniels
Thursday, November 29 2012, 2:01PM
“Another consideration with these lights is that they are much taller and slimmer and I'm sure there are more of them now on Lansdown Lane. Where is the energy saving coming from if more are needed ? They also don't blend in as the grey posts do as they are very black.”
by MoeXXX
Wednesday, November 28 2012, 9:27PM
“Then I apologise wheelie_bin. Finding it hard to be positive abut anything these days!”
by rogerh3
Wednesday, November 28 2012, 12:55PM
“It's not about the technology nor, necessarily, about cost. It's more about using both to the best advantage. Applied well lighting can enhance the environment.”
by wheelie_bin
Wednesday, November 28 2012, 6:49AM
“You were being a touch negative Moe. People were expressing their concerns that the council have gone for the cheap option rather than the safe option (which isn't always as cheap as it seems - I suspect our new hybris P&R buses fall into this category).
These look good:
http://tinyurl.com/d6zhx9u
You've rather taken the wind out of my sails with the comment about draconian cuts - it is not like you to concentrate solely on money which is why your comment seemed out of character.”
by MoeXXX
Wednesday, November 28 2012, 12:14AM
“wheelie_bin, we live in a society that accepts a certain level of human tragedy because, yes, money is now the *only* consideration. Normally I'd be totally with you, but considering the rising death toll due to draconian health and welfare cuts, I think - on balance - we should probably learn to cope with a different kind of street light.”
by DaveF_Walcot
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 10:46AM
“I've always thought it would be good if central Bath were lit like Vienna in the Third Man. Especially around Miles's Buildings. (cue Anton Karas on the zither).”
by Ilovespaniels
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 10:27AM
“How do councils pay for energy used. As the lamps are unmetered I guess they pay a fixed cost, does anyone know ? If so I hope BANES have a good deal ;)”
by tomsjan
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 10:05AM
“Well how's this for efficiency ........ a while back when the council was trimming the trees in our street I got them to lop off an extra branch at the front of one of them that was completely obscuring the adjacent street light. It allowed light to hit more of the street as the next light along has a light on the other side of it so there is a huge black chunk in the middle. It worked for a week until the council moved the lamp-post back to the back edge of the pavement to give the bin lorry more room to turn around! So now the lamp-post that had been there for decades doing its job is completely behind the tree and utterly useless! Maybe someone should take note that with any future tree planting they are all put on the SAME side of a row of street lights so that the light from one at least goes where it is needed - not rocket science!”
by wheelie_bin
Tuesday, November 27 2012, 8:50AM
“but does it save lives, Moe? Lets just not have any lights and save loads of money. If one of the consequences is that people feel intimidated, or even worse muggings go up, cyclist get hit - what the heck it saves money and that is the most important consideration.”
by MoeXXX
Monday, November 26 2012, 11:58PM
“The first question that sprang to mind when I saw this headline was - how are the usual suspects going to rubbish the adoption of a new efficient technology that saves lots of money?
too white, too dim, not orange enough, installers park their vans inconveniently, mutter, grumble...
Well done all; surpassed even my expectations.”