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"Postcode lottery" for street lights

10:30am Friday 3rd February 2012 in Harwich & Manningtree By Helen Barnett

A PARISH council fears “postcode lottery” proposals to switch off some street lights to save money will increase crime.

Essex County Council is considering turning off street lights between 12am and 5am in Lawford.

Ideas to switch off up to 70 per cent of street lamps in some areas across Tendring follow a successful trial by Essex council.

Street lamps owned by Lawford Parish Council would not be included in the switch-off.

But the Lawford Dale estate, which was the site for a spate of night burglaries last week, could be in darkness during part of the evening if rules were passed.

Victims lost their cars, laptops, mobile phones and treasured family jewellery in break-ins on Gainsborough Drive and Cotman Avenue in the early hours of Tuesday January 24.

Comments(2)

EdLoach says...
11:29am Fri 3 Feb 12

There doesn't seem to be any clear evidence either way. In Bristol crime went down. In Northamptonshire it was claimed to have gone up, though without figures to confirm this as far as I've seen. In Lawford if there has been a recent spate of burglaries pushing the figures above average it is likely the level will fall back towards the average whether the lights are on or not. I personally feel it is an incredible waste of energy lighting streets that will be for much of the time empty. Cars and bicycles have lights, pedestrians could carry torches, houses could have security lights fitted on the outside with motion sensors. Street lights aren't needed (as perhaps proved by the blackouts in World War 2?).

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SOMETHING2SAY says...
12:16pm Fri 3 Feb 12

erm...turn off lights...save money...but no mention of lowering the council tax then ??

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