Dimming street lights considered

The police and fire and ambulance services are to be consulted

Street lights on some public footpaths in Carmarthenshire may be switched off after midnight to save on energy bills.

All town and community councils in the county have been asked to consider the measure as a way of saving money.

The county council will also review the situation regarding street lighting but said no decision had been made.

Next month councillors in neighbouring Powys will debate turning-off more than a third of its 14,000 street lights to save cash and reduce CO2 emissions.

In Carmarthenshire each town and community council has been asked to consider whether there are lights in their areas that could be switched-off between 0030 and 0530.

The county's public lighting engineer Nigel Francis said: "During recent months requests have been received from community councils on ways of reducing energy bills.

Reducing bills

"Technology now enables individual street lights to automatically switch off giving benefits of energy reduction and reducing light pollution.

"We have as a result written to all town and community councils with the intention of providing information and to find out whether they would be interested in identifying locations within their area where they may consider that part night lighting may be appropriate."

He added: "We are also looking at public lighting throughout the county and are currently putting together a full report on the issue to go before the executive board in the near future."

But he said any decision to turn-off lights after midnight would only be taken after consultation with other bodies such as the emergency services.

Powys Council said its annual street lighting bill was about £500,000, but was set to rise by £175,000.

If the decision is made next month to switch-off over 5,000 street lights it said areas covered by CCTV, pedestrian crossings and trunk roads would not be affected.