Work to install 55,000 energy-saving LED street lights throughout Gloucestershire gets underway.
Skanska is carrying out a county-wide upgrade on behalf of Gloucestershire County Council, which is expected to save around £17m over the next twelve years.
Modern LED lighting uses up to 70 per cent less energy than conventional sodium lights, offering a much longer lifespan and reduced maintenance costs.
The installation work will help the council to meet its carbon reduction target.
As part of a pilot scheme, the first LED lights in the £41 million upgrade programme were successfully installed in the village of Hardwicke. This new rollout, which starts 16 November, will cover all towns and villages in the county.
Skanska operations director James Holmes said: “After several months of detailed preparation, it’s fantastic to be getting started. Working alongside our colleagues at Gloucestershire County Council, we’ve trialled and fine-tuned the installation to make the process as smooth as possible for residents.
“Our public liaison team will be in local areas over the coming months and we look forward to discussing the plans with members of the community.”
With the help of £5m funding from government, each of the new 55,000 lights can be individually managed by the council using a central management system.
It means that lamps can be checked and altered remotely, saving on engineering costs.
Cllr Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways and flood said: “There are so many benefits to using LED lighting. They’re more environmentally friendly, reducing light pollution as the lamps are directed downwards.
“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 - around £17m over the next twelve years.”
Investment in LED street lighting was approved in February 2014 as part of the council’s budget for 2014/15 to 2017/18. The contract for the scheme was awarded to Skanska in August 2015 and is valued at £32-41 million, dependant on additional work.
For more information visit: http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ledsl