A NEW street lighting policy, which includes dimming some lamps, is expected to be given the go-ahead.
Flintshire Council is seeking to minimise its carbon footprint while continuing to provide the highest quality of service and value for money.
The local authority owns and maintains more than 20,000 street lights and 3,000 illuminated signs across the county.
A new street lighting service has made a commitment to reduce its carbon footprint through a range of measures, including installing energy-saving equipment and low energy lighting units for all replacements. It will also include reducing the hours street lights will be switched on.
The proposals will go before Flintshire Council’s cabinet tomorrow.
The policy also proposes dimming street lights between 10pm and 6am in residential areas on roads that are not known accident sites or CCTV sites.
It also proposed to turn the lights off between midnight and 6am on rural and non-residential A roads and industrial estates.
As well as providing energy efficiencies, this is expected to see savings of £50,000 in the next financial year alone.
Cllr Bernie Attridge, Flintshire cabinet member for environment, said: “The new policy’s overall objective is to manage and maintain a safe and efficient street lighting network that ensures the safety of all road users, pedestrians and cyclists.
“It also recognises an efficient street lighting network is one of the ways that the council plays a major part in helping to reduce crime, improve driver behaviour and promote a safer community.
“This policy shows the council is being progressive in its thinking and will lead to a more energy efficient and cost effective way of maintaining our street lighting.”
The council’s policy also includes a robust inspection and testing regime and a planned preventative maintenance approach to the county’s A roads.
The council has been awarded £1.4 million over the next three years by the Welsh Government to replace street lighting columns that are older than their 30 year life expectancy.
Work to replace lighting units with energy efficient ones will be carried out at the same time as the columns are replaced.