Part-night streetlighting is here to stay, despite residents’ concerns

Concerns have been raised since a roll-out in South Holland of a scheme to turn streetlights off between midnight and 6am, but no u-turns are imminent.

There has been significant comment, especially on social media, from people who fear crime may increase due to the Lincolnshire County Council money-saving changes. And calls have been made for streetlights to come on earlier to help people beginning early factory shifts.

County council executive member for highways, Richard Davies, said: “We appreciate some people may be concerned by the changes, but the evidence suggests that part-night lighting is safe and leaves the majority of road users unaffected.

“These changes have been in place in some parts of the county for around nine months now, and there has been no noticeable impact according to Lincolnshire Police.

“We have had some feedback from Spalding residents. As in other areas, some people would prefer the lights to stay on all night while others are supportive of the changes. However, there have been no issues raised that warrant a review of any of the part-night lights.

“People should remember the council’s budget has been cut by more than £100m and we simply can’t afford to do everything we’ve done in the past.”

The final phase of streetlighting changes in south Lincolnshire is to be completed this month. Some lights will stay on at night and others will only be dimmed, for example in areas where there has been a significant record of road collisions or crime and in town centres.