Northamptonshire County Council is celebrating the announcement of a £89 million cash injection from the government to revitalise street lighting throughout the county.

The county council has been successful in making a bid to the government to secure the PFI funding to renew and improve the 54,000 existing street lights that are at the end of their design life, thereby reducing potential accidents and improving safety for everyone.

The county council, along with Cambridgeshire County Council made the joint bid under the purposefully created Eastern Shire Counties Partnership to The Department for Transport for a share of a £600 million pot of money available for such services.

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This cash injection means that old and outdated streetlamps can be replaced over a five-year period. This will reduce potential road accidents, improve community safety and reduce night time sky pollution.

The PFI credits also mean that the county’s street lights, illuminated signs and bollards will also be properly maintained. Preliminary contract discussion is already underway and it is anticipated that implementation of this work should be able to start within the next 18 months.

Councillor Bob Seery, Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, said: "This achievement in obtaining government PFI funding for the proposed programme of street lighting work is a direct result of the hard work of both officers and members responsible for the project and will result in addressing a major challenge currently faced in the county.

"It will enable all street lighting, which is the responsibility of the county council, to be improved in an expedited manner. If these financial resources hadn’t been obtained it would have taken a great many years to carry out this work.

"In addition to providing modern, improved and safe street lighting the opportunity will be taken to address related environmental issues as well as contributing to improving safety and communities as a result of which everybody in the county should benefit."

(CD/NS)