City to test dimmer street lights

Crime will be monitored to ensure public safety is not jeopardised

Street lighting in parts of York is to be dimmed to save money and cut down on carbon emissions.

Councillors have backed plans to reduce lighting levels by as much as 25% in three trial areas of the city.

If the scheme to introduce remote control lighting systems is rolled out across the city, the council says it could save more than £550,000 a year.

CO2 emissions would fall by about 650 tonnes a year if all of York's 17,500 street lights were included.

The introduction of a citywide remote monitoring and control system would cost about £2.5m.

Three-month trials will be carried out from January in Museum Street, the Rawcliffe Bar park and ride site and in a residential area yet to be identified.

City council leader Steve Galloway said: "There is lots of new emerging technology which will allow us to minimise our electricity consumption to the benefit of the council tax payer and also with an eye on emission levels.

"Nothing will be done without the agreement of the local community and nothing will be done which will compromise public safety."