Street lights could be turned back on in part of Essex
Currently lights go off at 1am and are back on by 5am from Tuesday to Sunday
Streetlights across Castle Point could be turned back on as councillors are set to discuss drawing up plans.
A council meeting was told that the borough should follow nearby Basildon in getting streets lit up again. It was agreed that Castle Point Council would speak with Essex County Council about the proposals.
Matthew Cortes, People’s Independent councillor for Thundersley South Ward, said: “I’d like to pull in the Essex representative that would allow us to turn our street lights back on because Basildon can do it. I don’t see why we can’t.”
Meeting chairman Grace Watson, Canvey Independent councillor, added: “The council officer will take it away and see if she can push it forward.”
Essex County Council is responsible for what it calls “one of the largest local lighting authorities in the country.”
In Essex, there are more than 128,000 street light posts, 11,000 illuminated signs and 6,000 illuminated bollards. Currently lights go off at 1am and are back on by 5am from Tuesday to Sunday. On Monday mornings, the lights are off between midnight and 5 am, according to Essex Highways. This is part of the council’s “part-night lighting” policy, which the council says is “designed to save money and reduce carbon emissions.”
A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “We’re aware of the comments made at the recent Castle Point Council meeting. However, we’ve yet to receive any formal request.”