TENDRING Council has agreed to pay County Hall up to £160,000 to switch some streetlights back on following a highly charged meeting at Clacton Town Hall.
Most lights in the district have been switched off between midnight and 5am since last year as part of a money-saving scheme by Essex County Council.
Tempers frayed as Labour councillors called for all lights to be switched back on following fears about rising crime, but Tory councillors accused their counterparts of “scaremongering”.
Labour leader Ivan Henderson was told to sit down by council chairman Val Guglielmi after his passionate speechwent on too long.
And streetlights campaigner Maureen Smith was ordered to leave the public gallery after interrupting council leader Mick Page.
Councillors voted in favour of an amended motion to allow Mr Page to negotiate with county council highways boss Rodney Bass in a bid to switch the lights back on.
But there are fears County Hall will block the move after it snubbed a similar plan by Harlow Council last week.
Read the full story in the Clacton Gazette, out now.
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