Nottinghamshire County Council will start work to alter 1,257 street lights in Bingham and eight nearby villages this week as part of its street lighting project to save over £1 million a year and cut carbon emissions and light pollution.

All the lights in Flawborough, Granby, Hawksworth, Orston, Shelton, Sibthorpe and Thoroton, a total of 158, plus 49 of the 53 in Whatton and 1,050 of the 1,278 in Bingham will be turned off between midnight and 5.30am. The remaining four in Whatton and 228 in Bingham will not be altered.

The work will involve swapping the light sensor on each lamp for one with a timer. It should take several weeks.

-- Advertisement --

Proposals for Aslockton, along with the comments received about them, are still being considered.

In March, the first lights were altered in Scarrington, Hockerton and Flintham and then 100 of the 120 in East Markham were turned off at midnight.

A risk assessment is being done for every light and the most appropriate option introduced for each town, village, suburb or road. Many lights will not be altered, including those near hospitals, accident black spots or areas with higher than average crime rates. The project should be complete across the county by 2014.

The Council is working closely with the emergency services and will monitor the project to make sure crime and collision rates do not rise. The County Council will also work with Nottingham City Council on streets that cross the county/city boundary.

The Council expects to save 26% of the energy used, 5,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and an estimated £1.25 million (based on last year’s electricity prices) a year. The cost of altering the lights will be £3.22 million, so the project will pay for itself in just a few years. An added benefit of reduced street lighting will be much better views of the night sky and the project is supported by Nottinghamshire Campaign for Dark Skies.

(CD/BMcC)