LED street light roll out continues in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire County Council is continuing its roll out of LED street lighting with the upgrade set to save the local authority £17 million over the next 12 years.

Work to upgrade streetlights with the more efficient and better quality lamps began in Cheltenham in May, following on from Gloucester, and now works have started in Tewkesbury.

Residents in Stroud can expect work to start this Autumn, with the Forest of Dean roll out due to start early in the new year.

The county-wide upgrade of street lighting is expected to save around £17m over the next 12 years, as well as help the council to meet its carbon reduction target.

Modern LED lighting uses up to 70% less energy than conventional sodium lights, offering a much longer life span and reducing maintenance costs.

The plan is to replace approximately 55,000 street lights across the county over three years, with the work starting in November last year.

Cllr Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: "I'm really pleased with the progress we're making in bringing these new street lights to the county.

"There are so many benefits to using LED lighting. They're more environmentally friendly, decrease light pollution, offer a better quality of light and a 70% reduction in energy usage.

"They're great for communities because they produce a brighter, clearer light that makes people feel safe at night, and of course they'll save us all lot of money."