Former Buckinghamshire County Council saved hundreds of thousands of pounds on streetlights
Since 2014 the councils spending on street lighting decreased
Buckinghamshire County Council cut street light spending by hundreds of thousands of pounds in five years.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government data shows Buckinghamshire County Council spent around £3.2 million on street lights in the area in 2019-20.
That was down from 2014-15, when the council spent around £3.5 million, after the figure was adjusted for inflation – a real-terms cut of 10% over five years.
Across England, street light spending fell by 15% in real terms over the same period.
Councils across England have faced huge financial challenges in the wake of years of central funding cuts, with many forced to review their budgets for local services – including street lights – to save money.
Some have made large savings on carbon emissions and energy bills by switching to LED lights, or by operating partial night-time switch-off regimes for lamps in their area.
Concerns have been raised that the drop in spending has also been due to lights being turned off, or the numbers reduced.
The Government said it is taking a series of "immediate steps" to improve security, including a doubling of the Safer Streets fund – which provides neighbourhood measures such as better lighting and CCTV – to £45 million.
Nesil Caliskan, chair of the safer and stronger communities board at the Local Government Association, which represents councils, said:
"Community safety is a top priority for local authorities.
"Despite significant funding pressures in recent years, councils continue to spend and invest heavily on streetlighting, including in upgraded, environmentally friendly lighting which costs less to run.
“We are pleased at the extension of the Safer Streets Fund, but its primary aim is to tackle persistent street crime and burglary, so while helpful to see increased funding for crime prevention measures, there needs to be a renewed focus on measures that will effectively tackle violence against women and girls."
In parts of the country, calls have been made for street lights to be switched back on at night over safety fears.
Last week Bauer held a discussion over the issue of women's safety, you can watch it here.