Echo wins Poole street lights fight (From Bournemouth Echo)
When news happens text pix and video to 80360. Start your message with BE then leave a space.
Echo wins Poole street lights fight
1:00pm Monday 18th March 2013 in News By Diana Henderson
TURN OFF: An electrical contractor works on a street light
FOLLOWING a U-turn by the county council, Borough of Poole has now decided to reveal the streets it intends to plunge into darkness after midnight.
Both councils initially refused to reveal lists of the residential streets where lights will be switched off in a bid to save money and reduce energy use.
But Dorset County Council saw the light and overturned its first refusal to reveal the information following a Freedom of Information Act request from the Daily Echo, after the intervention of its member champion for FOI, Councillor John Wilson.
Now – after having refused the FOI and an appeal – Poole Council has finally followed suit, declaring there were no “relevant exemptions set out in the regulations which apply to these circumstances”.
Poole Part Night Lighting Road List.xlsx
Cabinet portfolio holder for transportation at Borough of Poole Councillor Xena Dion said: “During the initial phases of this exercise, in line with police advice, we felt that we were legally entitled to withhold information about a trial scheme in parts of Poole.
Borough of Poole is not intending to publish the information on our website as we feel that widespread publication could increase people’s fear of crime, although we have no evidence that a reduction in street lighting results in any actual increase in crime rates.”
In phase two of its trial, Poole is converting approximately 1,800 lights in 215 streets, out of 251 in which residents were consulted, to part night operation.
Conversion work has started and around half has been completed. The remaining work should be finished by the end of May. The county council began turning off almost 4,100 lights in specific areas in early December. However, there are exemptions as with Poole.
The borough will not dim lighting at the ends of footpaths and on roads with traffic calming features. Cllr Wilson said there was “nothing secret” about the switch off.
“Residents have every right to know about their street lights,” he said.
Swanage is the latest county council town to reveal its list of 800 street lamps that will be switched off overnight in April.
Comments(15)
Teddy 1
says...
2:02pm Mon 18 Mar 13
Lewcee
says...
2:06pm Mon 18 Mar 13
Cosmic Crusader
says...
2:42pm Mon 18 Mar 13
muscliffman
says...
4:23pm Mon 18 Mar 13
The Renegade Master wrote:Absolutely - perhaps with a hint of sarcasm?
I think all street lights on minor roads should be switched off between midnight ans 6am all across the country. Just think of the savings and lower carbon emissions that would result.
So let us go the whole hog, switch off all street lights permanently, close all our roads to any motorised traffic, turn off the electricity grid, ban planes, uninvent the wheel..........just think of the savings and the lower carbon emissions then - although to what purpose the latter on this currently cooling planet goodness knows!
manyogie
says...
4:47pm Mon 18 Mar 13
Lewcee wrote:Or the arts center with the lights on all night, even when shut
Stow the "carbon emissions"...looks like there may be a re-think over the speed of global warming - "Don't panic!" comes to mind. However, it is sensible to turn them off to save money! Now the Boro' Council can start looking at other electricity waste - such as leaving the lights on in their own multi-storey staff car park at the Civic Centre, where the lights are on 24/7...even tho' the area is covered by their own infra-red camera system!
oldgiraffe
says...
5:53pm Mon 18 Mar 13
l'anglais
says...
5:55pm Mon 18 Mar 13
The Renegade Master wrote:What would it take to fit movement sensors to street lights, or even on the roads and pavements?
I think all street lights on minor roads should be switched off between midnight ans 6am all across the country. Just think of the savings and lower carbon emissions that would result.
As you pass one light as a pedestrian the next 3 lights come on, as a car the next 10 lights illuminate.
Constant traffic would create constant illumination, infrequent traffic would create a major reduction in energy costs.
anigel
says...
6:31pm Mon 18 Mar 13
BIGTONE
says...
6:41pm Mon 18 Mar 13
l'anglais wrote:It has been suggested many times before, it cannot be done. They are sodium or discharge based lamps that take a couple of minutes to ignite then illuminate.
The Renegade Master wrote:What would it take to fit movement sensors to street lights, or even on the roads and pavements?
I think all street lights on minor roads should be switched off between midnight ans 6am all across the country. Just think of the savings and lower carbon emissions that would result.
As you pass one light as a pedestrian the next 3 lights come on, as a car the next 10 lights illuminate.
Constant traffic would create constant illumination, infrequent traffic would create a major reduction in energy costs.
muscliffman
says...
6:47pm Mon 18 Mar 13
The Renegade Master wrote:It might be rude to respond on any other level to those still seriously barking on about reducing 'carbon emissions'.(Please note the other remarks on this)
muscliffman wrote:A childish reply to a perfectly sensible post. Well done.
The Renegade Master wrote:Absolutely - perhaps with a hint of sarcasm?
I think all street lights on minor roads should be switched off between midnight ans 6am all across the country. Just think of the savings and lower carbon emissions that would result.
So let us go the whole hog, switch off all street lights permanently, close all our roads to any motorised traffic, turn off the electricity grid, ban planes, uninvent the wheel..........just think of the savings and the lower carbon emissions then - although to what purpose the latter on this currently cooling planet goodness knows!
I did actually think the original comment was meant sarcastically.....oh dear, no offence intended!
Teddy 1
says...
7:34pm Mon 18 Mar 13
muscliffman
says...
11:58pm Mon 18 Mar 13
Teddy 1 wrote:My memory may be playing, tricks but was there not a time in the late 60s/early 70s) when many (even main road) lamps went out at around midnight, that all the lamposts, at least in Bournemouth, were fitted with a small square unlettered black and white layered symbol for the very (30mph) reason that you mention? Or were these 'signs' for another purpose because, they certainly existed?
So what happens with 30mph limits if you cant see the street lamps? THe highway code says something about it being 30mph if lamp posts are a set distance apart and there are no repeater signs....will the council have to add loads of repeater signs everywhere? Would be an interesting test case.
Cosmic Crusader
says...
8:49am Tue 19 Mar 13
oldgiraffe wrote:Watched the engineer adapt the lamp outside my property. Simple job to adjust the existing controller at the base and then up on the hoist to test the lamp's photosensitive cell. 5 minutes at the most.
Let's hope the savings covers the cost of the timers and labour to fit and maintain them!
Matthew_Y
says...
8:53am Tue 19 Mar 13
The Renegade Master says...
1:46pm Mon 18 Mar 13