Town could be in the dark...but not until next year

The authority is introducing a more ‘cost-effective approach’ as it looks to save £1.7million from its annual £5m street lighting budget.

Plans include:

○7,000 of the county’s 68,000 lights will be swapped for low-energy LED ones which can be dimmed

○‘Part-night’ lighting is being introduced in certain, mostly residential, areas, where lights will turn on at dusk and remain on until midnight. Lights will then be switched off until 6am. This will affect 38,000 street lights

○Up to 3,000 street lights, away from built up areas, have been identified for possible switch off, subject to further assessments

Initially, the changes will be rolled out in Grantham, Sleaford, Caistor, Market Rasen and Louth during next month.

A council spokesman said Horncastle would be included in ‘Phase 10’ of the project, scheduled for early next year.

Town councillors have expressed concerns that lights could be switched off on major routes, including Jubilee Way and Boston Road..

County Councillor Richard Davies, Executive Member for Highways and Transport, said: “The council’s budget has been cut by more than £100m and we need to save a further £41m this year.

“ We simply can’t afford to do everything we’ve done in the past.

“ Streetlights are expensive, and many of them do not need to be on during the small hours. All they are doing is burning taxpayers’ money.”