Savings allow for night light policy in Coventry to be reversed
Streetlights are to be switched back on across Coventry after cost-cutting measures
Streetlights are to be switched back on across Coventry after cost-cutting measures left large parts of the city in darkness in the early hours of the morning. Cllr George Duggins, leader of Coventry City Council, made the announcement at yesterday’s (Tuesday) full council meeting.
A fall in electricity prices and energy savings elsewhere means the switch-on will happen next week. Cllr Duggins said it would take place around September 9th, a move that was welcomed by party leaders and councillors.
Cllr Duggins said: “We had planned to switch the lights back on as we made the upgrade to LEDs but that would have meant some parts of the city had lights while others didn’t. Thanks to the savings that have been made we can switch every single light back on in one go on Tuesday 9 September. I think that’s great news for everyone and I believe it’s things like this that set us apart in Coventry.”
For the past 18 months, the lights have been either switched off or dimmed between midnight and 5.30am during the week and between 1am and 5.30am at the weekends. The annual cost of streetlighting before May 2024 was around £3.4 million, and the part-night programme was introduced to help save in excess of £700,000 a year.
Streetlighting energy costs have dropped from 38p per unit to 24p and further savings in the current financial year from the part-night switch-off have allowed for the lighting to be turned back on.
Last month, two Woodlands councillors called for the lights to be switched back on following a spate of burglaries. Cllrs Marcus Lapsa and Grace Lewis said that the crime spree had happened in an area known as the Trees.
Following yesterday’s announcement, Cllr Lewis said: “I am pleased that Labour has finally listened to residents and will be turning the lights back on. But this cut to public safety should never have been made in the first place.”
Cllr Patricia Hetherton, cabinet member for city services, said: “I’m really pleased that we have found a way to switch street lights back on while delivering a major upgrade to energy-saving LEDs. The smart choices we made during tough times, along with falling electricity prices, mean we can now invest in long-term improvements without compromising right across the city.
“This programme is not only good for the environment, but it also brings real benefits to local people—especially those working or travelling in the early hours. I want to thank residents for their patience and understanding—these cuts have been hard on us all. Let there be light!”