Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Safer Communities Manager, as introduced by the Leader of the City Council, Councillor Herbert.

The report outlined that following major budgetary reviews, the County Council proposed to dim street lighting and to turn off lights in a number of areas across the County overnight, with midnight to 6am the current proposed hours.

As the proposals would have a significant impact in Cambridge City, the City Council have raised a number of concerns with the County Council around the safety of the public, if the planned lighting goes through as currently proposed.

Councillor Herbert advised that he felt that there was no justification for the lights to be switched off and asked the Committee and public for feedback on this matter. 

Comments from members of the public

     i.        Queried what energy savings would be made.

    ii.        Enquired what regulations allowed street lights to be dimmed or switched off.

   iii.        New streets lights had been placed in the City and now it was planned to switch them off. Why did they have to be replaced in the first instance?

  iv.        Asked if individual streets could pay to implement lights as a result of safety concerns due to lack of lighting.

   v.        Noted that there was too much light pollution in some areas of the City.

  vi.        Suggested that areas that were well lit by ‘business lighting’ should be switched off only.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

     i.        Asked Councillors to inform the County Council that this proposal should not be approved.

    ii.        Enormous difference between the lights being dimmed and switched off.

   iii.        Feedback received from many Parish Councillors was that they were happy to have the lights switched off. However Cambridge as a City with a night time economy was different.

  iv.        Could have an impact on congestion in the City with shift workers choosing to take the car instead of biking to and from work.

   v.        Expressed safety concerns due to a lack of light as more of Cambridge University moved to the west of the City, the labs on this side of the City were used  throughout the day and night.

  vi.        The switching off the lights would create a gender imbalance

 vii.        The proposal to switch off the street lights would increase stress levels in the City and have a major negative impact on women. There could also be a possible rise in hate crime.

viii.        It would have been beneficial to have an Officer from the County Council present but there had not been enough notice given.

  ix.        The County Council were not obliged to light all roads.

   x.        The County Council was under funded. If money could not be saved in this area, savings would have to be made elsewhere. 

  xi.        Queried if the City Council would be willing to contribute to the lights costs in the City. 

 xii.        Lights were justified in order to get more efficiency savings.

xiii.        Third party financial contributions towards lights were invited from parish councils in rural areas (to pay for their own street lights), but this scheme was not being implemented in the City.

xiv.        An on-line consultation regarding lighting was planned in the next few months. In the meantime, members of the public could make representations to the County Council Highways Committee.

Following discussion, Members resolved (unanimously) to note the Strategy and Resources Committee Report on the County Council lighting proposal and to comment on any areas of concern that they would like taken up with the County in the planned negotiations.