Plug pulled on all-night lighting

Street lights controlled by Essex County Council will be switched off between midnight and 0500 GMT in places where it feels it is appropriate.

The council said it was "clearly appropriate" for all night lighting to remain in certain limited areas.

A number of pilot areas have been earmarked for the new approach.

The council funds the majority of street lighting across Essex, which is about 120,000 lights.

The annual energy consumption of this facility is 44 million kilowatt hours of electricity, producing 19,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Road safety

Councillor Rodney Bass said: "We take very seriously our responsibility to take local action on global environmental issues.

"We encourage residents to think about the impact of their personal actions and we expect our staff to be equally responsible about saving energy.

"Now we are thinking more fundamentally about how our policies across the council affect the environment."

Essex Police said in a statement: "The council has given a clear undertaking to consult with police on a case-by-case basis as to whether switching off lights will have an impact on crime and disorder or on road policing and road safety.

"Lighting can have a positive impact on reducing crime and reducing the fear of crime."

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Essex County Council
Essex Police
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites