County cost-saving brings dark streets to Dacorum (From Watford Observer)

County council cost-saving brings dark streets to Dacorum

2:58pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in News By Amie Mulderrig

Street lights across Dacorum are being switched off this week, in a measure to cut Hertfordshire County Council’s electricity bill.

The programme, which is being rolled out across the county, is being implemented in a number of Dacorum villages including Kings Langley. Residents in affected areas will be plunged into darkness between the hours of midnight and 6am.

As well as saving money, supporters of the switch-off claim the scheme will also shrink the authority’s carbon footprint.

Hertfordshire County Councillor Richard Roberts, Conservative, said: “This programme is rolling out across the county and is about half way through. The anticipation is that by shutting off approximately 70 per cent of all street lights after midnight there will be energy savings of at least £1million per year.

“There are no lights in Chipperfield or Flaunden or the rural patches outside of the villages, but there are approximately 1,000 lights across the Kings Langley ward. The main concentrations are in Kings Langley, Bovingdon, Felden, Bourne End and along the A4251 (the old A41).

“All lights on public roads and paths are marked on a map and have been risk assessed by highways for road safety and the police for crime.

“The police are right behind this scheme and evidence from across the country where this has already been carried out show no increases in crime.”

According to Councillor Roberts, who represents the Kings Langley division, lights will not be turned off along the A4251 (main road through Kings Langley and Bourne End), that illuminate traffic calming (exclusively Kings Langley) or at roundabouts.

Longer, straighter roads will have their lights switched off first, before smaller side streets.

He added: “There is a high degree of caution built into the road safety aspect of the “A” road which is why the lights are staying on. But contrast this with the A41 bypass where there are no lights at all.

“Councillor Stuart Pile was telling me that unlit motorways have up to ten per cent reduction in speed compared with lit ones.”