Next phase of plans to turn off or dim streetlights in Cornwall being rolled out

The amount of streetlights being switched off or dimmed will increase to 3,800

Author: Sophie SquiresPublished 19th Jan 2024

More streetlights in Cornwall are going to be turned off or dimmed.

The next phase of the council's initiative is being rolled out, which they say is aimed at reducing carbon emissions, cutting light pollution, and to save money on energy costs.

The authority is switching off some of its streetlights between midnight and 5.00am. Streetlights in town centres where there is a strong night-time economy, areas where there is CCTV, and along main roads, will remain on or will be dimmed.

The council’s portfolio holder for transport, Richard Williams-Pears said: "So far 670 of the council’s streetlights have been dimmed or turned off. That number increases to 3,800 in this next phase.

"The feedback we’ve had during phase one centres on concerns around safety. Safety is at the forefront in any decision about switching off streetlights.

"Before we embarked on this initiative, we consulted with the Safer Cornwall Partnership who will be monitoring the situation carefully and feeding back any concerns.

"We won’t be compromising on safety as where risk assessments have shown that streetlights are still beneficial, they will be kept on, or will be dimmed once new LED bulbs are fitted.

"Risk assessments will continue to be carried out and data shared with local stakeholders. Any concerns and requests, including requests from parish and town councils for areas where they want to see streetlights switched off or turned back on again, are fully considered."

Streetlights will remain on, or be dimmed between midnight and 5am to reduce light pollution, in locations such as   

  • Traffic signal junctions, pedestrian crossings, subways, some roundabouts and junctions   
  • Parts of town centres and footpaths that are still relatively busy during the night  
  • On certain roads where there is traffic calming and speed humps  
  • Areas where there is CCTV or police surveillance equipment  
  • Entrances and exits to hospitals, police, ambulance and fire stations 

The council say their network of streetlights currently contributes to around 30% of their total carbon emissions.

All council-run streetlights in Cornwall are in the process of being replaced with energy saving LEDs to cut these emissions and reduce electricity consumption.

The new LED streetlights, which are a similar colour temperature to the previous lamps, will be remotely controlled and monitored.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.