Cash offer for street lights bill

Careworker pays to switch on village lights

A carer has offered to pay for the street lights to be switched back on in the village where he lives.

Powys council has switched off thousands of street lamps in the county in a bid to save money.

But Mike Atherton, a 60-year-old carer from Llangynog near Oswestry, said it was a "severe threat to public safety".

He has offered to pay £277 for 15 lights to be lit from December to next March but Powys council said it could not accept payments from individuals.

However, his local community council said it was "very generous" offer.

Thousands of lights have been blacked-out across Powys as part of the controversial cost-cutting policy, which is saving the council £225,000.

The scheme has been criticised in communities throughout the county.

The switch off has a detrimental psychological effect on people Mike Atherton

Mr Atherton, a railway pensioner who now works as a carer for Crossroads Mid and West Wales, told Llangynog Community Council and his local county councillor about his offer to fund the lighting on Tuesday.

He said the council was "totally irresponsible in switching so many lights off".

"I believe the switch off has left elderly and vulnerable people in real danger, trapped in their homes and deprived of any social life."

He said the village car park was not lit at night making it very difficult to use the public phone.

Holidaymakers staying in the caravan parks also do not want to walk into a darkened village and the switch off was threatening the business of the village's two pubs and the evening paper round, he claimed.

Thousands of lights have been turned off across Powys

"The switch off has a detrimental psychological effect on people which is why I have offered to pay for the lights to go back on for Christmas and up until the end of March.

He called on Powys council to immediately withdraw "these draconian measures and find more constructive ways of saving energy."

Cllr Gwilym Tibbott, chairman of Llangynog Community Council, said Mr Atherton's "very generous offer" showed how community comes together to solve their problems.

Simon Baynes, county councillor for Llanwddyn ward which includes Llangynog, also welcomed the funding offer.

Mismanaged

He said he was not surprised the pensioner wanted the lights switched back on.

Conservative Mr Baynes said he raised Llangynog's problems at last month's full council meeting when he supported a temporary suspension of the street light switch off.

He added: "I am very pleased that Mike Atherton's generosity will mean the people of Llangynog can have their lights back on for Christmas."

But a spokesman for Powys council said it could not accept money for the lights from any individual.

"If Llangynog Community Council want the 15 street lights switched on they will have to notify us," he said.

"It is up to the council how they get the funding from Mr Atherton."