YEP Letters: December 1

People in Leeds are being urged to have their say on council plans to expand a part-time street-light switch-off scheme. Leeds City Council is responsible for 92000 street lights which consume approximately £4 million of electricity per year. Since 2013 around 4000 street lights in Leeds - around four per cent of the total - have been set for part-night operation saving £136k per year in energy costs. But now the cash-strapped council says it needs to find other ways to save money on street lights as part of a wider cost-cutting drive. We asked YEP readers for their views and here’s what some of them said on social media..

Stephen Clayforth

Instead of turning ALL the lights off on selected streets why don’t the council return to the situation that existed back in the 60s and 70s where, on most non main road routes, they switched off every other light?

This would still give some light on all streets thus eliminating the problems of completely dark streets and the concerns people have about them, whilst enabling the council to switch off nearly 50 per cent of the street lights thus saving much more than the current, and/or anticipated, savings.

Laura Lawson

Some of us have been living in the dark after midnight for a while now. It’s actually not as bad as it sounds though; the lights are still on in the residential areas and just off on the main roads where there are no houses.

Jacqui Oddy

I live on the edge of a village, there are only about 10 houses where I am, the council have alternate lights off. It’s actually nicer, no glaring light through the bedroom window. And you can see more stars. Doesn’t seem to have increased crime or accidents either.

Crag Wilig

Just change to a lower watt bulb as and when the street light bulbs needs changing. Either that or have more illuminated advert boards up and down the streets.

Daniel Richardson

Or they could invest in low impact LED street lights powered by solar panels.

Cliff Owen

LED is the way to go, the cost savings on electricity are significant although the initial costs are significant. It’s a shame that Leeds decided to replace all the lampposts two years to soon but should have negotiated a change to LED during the last two years before all the lampposts were replaced.

Trish Packham

Maybe if the cash-strapped Leeds Council stopped wasting so much cash on stupid projects then we could keep our lights on.

This will be a serious safety risk for everyone walking down dark streets.

Sharon Denise Whitaker

I’ll just buy myself a torch and apply for a council tax reduction!

Maria Bartusiak

Does that mean the council tax bill will be reduced?

No, thought not!

How can the council get away with it?

Lianne Moxon

I’m from Leeds and moved in July to a village and there’s no street lights. There’s no trouble and I prefer it.

John Rozycki

What a good idea, what with no police on patrols and all the attacks going on every day and night, can you imagine the police asking for witnesses when it’s pitch black? How will that stand up in court?

Paul Terry

Turn the lights off in the tunnels, especially during the day. Cars all have headlights, don’t need all these on as well..

Stacey Moon

So we save some pennies on the electricity bill until someone is attacked or killed because someone’s taken advantage of the dark. It’s hard enough to feel safe at night as it is.

Simon Milner

They could save even more money by not switching Christmas lights on all over the city and not having fireworks and a bonfire at Roundhay.

Penny Hardisty

Not a good idea at all, what are they thinking?

Crime will rise and more people will get away with it.

Must be another way to make money!

Daniel Richardson

This is because the council have failed to meet pollution targets, reducing electric output to reduce the environmental impact whilst putting the safety of the 
Leeds community on the back burner.

They should have pedestrianised the city and built the tram line, invested in better cheaper public transport but no, they build more office blocks, more high-rise apartments meaning more traffic, more pollution.

Pauline MacLean

In the winter months street lights are required to be switched on and in working order.

Surely a fundamental service requirement of why we are asked to pay our council taxes.

Andy Dennis

A very good idea as long as it’s thought through and implemented with both energy saving and safety in mind.

Ivan Joseph Blair

A better idea would be to switch to LED lamps (to reduce consumption) and fit shrouds/reflectors to reduce light pollution.

Levi Kidman

Would it be one in three lights off? Rather than a full black out? Surely this would be a better idea?

Tracey Bowles

I think there’s a better way to save money just by switching off so many in the streets. Example, if there’s ten lights on in a street then switch off five of them and do this in all areas that way they have lights on but not as many, so this would save money all round.