Plans for a one-off charge to switch street lights back on in Lincolnshire have been given the go ahead by the county council.
As part of an initiative to save money, Lincolnshire County Council switched off more than half of the region’s 68,000 street lights overnight in 2016.
The council has now backed a scheme that would allow parish councils to pay a one-off fee of up to £300 per light to switch lights back on.
Parish councils from across the county told LSJ News that they have had no official response from the county council on this matter with many saying that they hadn’t yet had a chance to discuss it at a meeting.
Its also been revealed that lights along whole streets will have to be turned on, not just individually.
The cost to switch lights on has been calculated based upon the cost of installing LED bulbs, as well as the cost of powering them for the next 20 years.
Under the current system, street lights on minor roads and in residential areas switch off at midnight and don’t turn on again until 6am. The original plan received a backlash when it was proposed with many people raising concerns about safety. The county council stood firmly behind the initiative citing cost savings as the main reason for supporting it.
