10,000 street lights to be replaced across Bucks

Apr 26 2012 by Jo-Anne Rowney, Buckinghamshire Examiner

PLANS to replace street lights across Bucks will save £283,000 a year, but cost £3.7 million.

Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) has said it is replacing over 10,000 street lights in the county with more energy efficient units.

TfB has said the new dimming lights could save £283,000 per year as they use less energy and cost less to maintain.

But the project will cost £3.7 million, which will be paid back over 14 years.

£1.4m of the funding has been provided by Salix Finance Ltd and the remainder of the budget will come from the county council.

The four-year programme, which will start later this year, will replace larger, more powerful lights usually seen on main roads.

The new lights will have a dimming system which will be used during off peak hours and remain on when there is a lot of traffic.

Each lamp has a life span of six years – twice as long as the current lamps.

Peter Hardy, Bucks County Council’s cabinet member for planning and transport said: “It is good news for the people of Buckinghamshire that we can make further savings from this initiative while providing an improved lighting stock on these traffic routes.”

Councillor Steven Adams, cabinet member for environment and who represents the Amersham ward, said: “By replacing our street lights with modern, energy efficient ones, we are not only going to be saving council taxpayers a considerable amount of money, but we are also reducing our carbon footprint quite significantly.”

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