More Than 10k LED Street Lights Keep Southend Shining Bright

January 20, 2017 by Southend Borough Council

An ambitious two-year project to keep Southend’s roads lit throughout the night with energy-efficient LED lamps has now seen more than 10,000 street lights installed across the borough, with only 4,000 left on the to-do list.

The ground-breaking £13.5 million project – the first of its kind in England to be part-financed through the Green Investment Bank – is slashing the Council’s spend on energy, shrinking its carbon footprint and is on target to complete on schedule by August.

At the same time, new Central Government guidance on illuminated ‘street furniture’ – primarily signs and bollards – means that many electrically lit signs are being replaced by ultra-reflective signs, commonly used in other parts of Europe.

Cllr Ann Holland, Executive Councillor for Culture, Tourism and The Economy, said: “This is a welcome milestone and a shining example of how investment in green technology can pay both financial and environmental dividends.

“The forward-looking invest-to save approach is enabling the Borough to deal with budget pressures without having to turn off street lights during the night: a move which can give rise to concerns over road safety and increased fear of crime.

“The new lights are proving really popular with most local residents. Many are commenting on the improvement in quality of the light, which is whiter, brighter and more targeted than traditional street lights so that it stays on the road rather than spilling into properties.

“Rationalising how we position and light up bollards and signage throughout the borough will boost our environmental credentials even further.

“I now look forward the successful delivery of the rest of the project and invite other authorities to get in touch with us so that we can share what we have learnt.”