£22.5 million deal to replace Leeds street lights with LED lamps now underway

A £22.5 million deal to replace street lights in Leeds with LED lamps is now underway.
Street lights in Beeston, Leeds.Street lights in Beeston, Leeds.
Street lights in Beeston, Leeds.

Leeds Council has announced that a deal has been finalised with a partner agency to begin work on the project, which was first approved in December 2018.

The new deal means that a total of 92,000 street lights across the city will be converted - an extra 82,000 on top of an already earmarked 6,000 lamps.

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Initial investments costs were set to be £25.4million but the deal has been secured for a total of £22.5million.

The conversion programme will begin in September.

It will take four years to complete.

Leeds Council said it spends £4.8million a year on electricity to run the current street lights.

It estimates the completed conversion will generate savings on £3.4million a year based on current energy prices.

There will also be environmental benefits - with Leeds Council estimating that the scheme will reduce energy consumption in the city by approximately 62%.

This will save 7,050 tonnes of carbon savings.

The new LED lights will also be fully recyclable.

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Leeds City Council executive member for climate change, transport and sustainable development Councillor Lisa Mulherin said: "Having made a commitment to doing everything we can to tackle the climate emergency and become carbon neutral as a city, looking at our street lights and making them as energy efficient as we can by converting them to the latest LEDs is a key priority.

"As well as making them much more energy efficient, and being fully recyclable, this programme delivers significant financial savings and will have paid for itself in around seven years."

Managing Director of operating sub-contractor SSE Enterprise Stuart Chaston said: "We are proud to support Leeds City Council's commitment to working towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

"SSE Enterprise is driving forward the "Smart Cities" approach, enabling more areas to embrace technology to make a real impact on their carbon emissions and manage energy more efficiently and Leeds is at the forefront of this."