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Return of the blackout: Crime fear as councils switch off streetlights to save the planet
Last updated at 00:37am on 12.02.08Thousands of street lamps in suburban areas are being switched off after midnight.
The blackouts are being imposed by councils to cut energy bills and meet climate change targets.
Buckinghamshire is carrying out one of the most radical trials of the new approach.
More than 1,700 lights, which illuminate 25 miles of roads, will soon be switched off completely.
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Now you see it: In the evening, this Romsey street in Hampshire is well-lit by street lamps
Now you don't : The lights go out at midnight, leaving residents in the dark
The council claims the scheme will save £100,000 and nearly 600 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
But the Government-backed blackouts have provoked anger from police leaders and motoring organisations.
Derek Barnett, of the Police Superintendents' Association, said: "Good street lighting reduces crime, it makes the public feel safe and it reduces the risk of road traffic accidents.
"I would need to feel confident that the environmental savings were being balanced against the impact on local crime."
The latest move is the most draconian rationing of street lighting since the power cuts of the 1970s.
The trials will be extended to more areas - including rural A-roads - in the next few weeks.
If these tests prove successful, all street lamps could be routinely turned off between midnight and 5am, a Daily Mail investigation has revealed.
But those who live in the blackout zones established so far have given the experiment the thumbs-down.
In Hampshire, the county council last month pulled the plug on street lighting after midnight for 1,000 residents.
One of those affected, Judith Giles, said: "It is now pitch black after midnight.
The big concern is that it will encourage vandalism and burglary.
"For many people, particularly those who live on their own, it is very intimidating."
Mrs Giles, 46, who lives in Romsey's leafy Fishlake Meadows estate, added: "It is a criminals' haven."
Motoring organisations have also warned that the changes could increase the number of road accidents.
Edmund King, the president of the AA, said: "There is concern that some local authorities appear to be doing this to save money, rather than to save the environment.
"In terms of road accidents, we have to be sure that this won't lead to more deaths and injuries on the roads, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians who are difficult to see at the best of times.
Worried: Romsey resident Judith Giles called the unlit neighbourhood 'a criminals' haven'
"The statistical evidence shows that there are more fatal and serious accidents when roads are unlit.
"Local authorities should be looking at more environmentally friendly lighting technology."
But Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association, which represents councils, denied suggestions that the blackouts could put lives at risk.
"Street lighting costs the council taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds a year," he said.
"Councils want to provide value for money to local people and it is right that they look at ways of lighting the streets that are less expensive.
"The safety of the streets and local people must be at the heart of everything a council does."
The blackouts are being introduced in suburban and rural areas and it is not thought that city centres and major roads will ever be affected.
Town hall chiefs claim that the policy could halve street lighting bills, as a typical sodium street lamp costs between £20 and £40 a year to run. Many councils have at least 100,000 lights.
However, the cost of converting street lights to operate on the new system might outweigh the advantages.
Cheshire council abandoned plans for blackouts after discovering it costs at least £100 to add a timer to each lamp.
Other areas taking part in blackout trials include Maldon and Uttlesford in Essex.
Locals there complain that vandalism backing of local police and fire chiefs, the King Street residents forced the council to turn the lights back on.
But Essex County Council insisted that vandalism and petty crime had not increased since it started the trials a year ago.
A spokesman said: "There is an argument that cutting street lights reduces some types of crime because groups of people no longer like hanging around street corners if it is dark."
Trials are also taking place in Gloucestershire, while Hertfordshire is introducing six-month blackouts later in the year.
Cornwall and Devon are considering similar schemes.
Some local authorities are going even further - and scrapping street lights in the evenings as well as the early hours of the morning.
Last year, Buckinghamshire council turned off all lights on the A4128 - a busy rural road running from High Wycombe to Hughenden Valley.
Paul Cawte, chairman of the village residents' association, said: "You can't see your hand in front of your face.
"We've heard of some people having to walk on the road to follow the white line because they can't see the path. It is clearly dangerous."
Return of the blackout
When the lights first went out, residents simply assumed that they were the victims of a power cut.
But when every street lamp shut down at midnight for the second time, they began to suspect that something else was happening.
It turned out that Hampshire County Council was testing the effects of a blackout on 300 homes in the Fishlake Meadows estate in Romsey.
Officials wanted to see how the locals would react - and whether the darkness would attract vandals and burglars.
"It is absolutely pitch black," said resident Judith Giles, 46. "We are more concerned about crime than anything else."
She added: "This is a very middle-class residential area. There are quite a few older people here and they are feeling insecure."
A spokesman for the council said the trial would cut the electricity bill for the estate's lights by at least a third.
She admitted the decision not to warn residents beforehand was deliberate.
"We did not want any preconceived ideas about turning off the lights," she said.
Reader views (40)
At long last! A great piece of News! They are going to turn those annoying things off! I remember in days gone by, laying in my bed, in the lovely peace and quiet of the night all snug and warm, listening to the wind blowing outside. Total darkness no horrid annoying street lamp outside to give you the illusion you are 'Oh so very urban!'There was no crime then, pubs shut at the usual time as they do now, but there were no night clubs, and most people went home at a reasonable hour. We all worked and each had responcibilities! I am a nature fanatic and a country bunkin, but I dont like to hear the birds singing their heads off ALL NIGHT LONG. Those light keep them and everyone else awake.
Criminals need a sertain amount of light to do their thing, turning off street lamps will not increace crime, dont be rediculous! After a hard days work,
I love to sit out in my beautiful garden late at night especialy in the summer, unfortunatly my fence backs onto a main road. Turning off the lights might actualy reduce the trafic and my stress.
Pleanty of people are getting inferred CCTV these days, so if you are that scared, its an option!
- Susanna, Hemel Hempstead Herts., 04/02/2011 13:42
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im sorry but it is clearly unsafe for roads and for crime. think of young women/teens coming out of a club how the hell do they defend themselves against older stronger men. Especially when the crime has been increasing. and all the stabbings, if there is no lights there is no witnesses. its perfectic they need to think about buildings that dont need so many lights or even consider led lights.
- Sam, norwich, 01/02/2010 18:15
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Our local council are in the process of replacing street lights, and the question has to be asked why are there so many? Turn every other one off and see what a difference that makes - it will still leave the streets safe at night and the savings would be huge
- Philip D Turner, Stockport, 27/10/2009 16:05
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Can't wait for all the money I will save in my Council tax.....haha. This scheme is driving me mad, it is so depressing living in Bucks.
- Lynda E, Amersham, 26/01/2009 13:44
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We are developing a system which allows residents to access street lights in localised residential ares via thier Mobile Phone or landline.
trialed in China of all places but it means you only need to switch certain important street lights for say 10 minutes whils you walk the dog or enter or exit the car late at night.
the concept is being used in a few countries and it could mean that the local autority could well benifit as well as the local residents.
there is no cost to use the system by the residents or users and it can be installed ito any street light as a stand alone unit.
Just need to fight you way through all the local goverment system to get a response.
- Nigel Graver, Shenzhen Main Land China, 09/01/2009 04:05
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Sure wish they would do that here. So much power, natural gas and money is being wasted. In these hard times, they cling to their street lights like babies to their mommies. They need to be weaned.
People need to get used to the dark again, slow down, go to bed and get some slleep.
- Robert Bateman, Weaverville, CA, USA, 25/12/2008 00:19
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I remember when the street lamps used to go out at midnight back in the sixties. we didn't have problems them. if we went out late at night we carried torches.
Cars parked on the road were obliged to use standing lamps. this would be even easier now with the low power consumption of led's.
I personally think it is ok to turn lights out at strategic places/side roads late at night as the energy saving is substantial.
We now also have infrared cameras and pir's (Passive Infra-red dectetors) so either switching on lamps when there is activity or security monitoring in low visibility conditions is now much easier to accomplish. in many case it is the fear factor rather than reality which is making people cling to streetlamps. Think of the savin if we turned off some parts of the M25.
To that note ,the improvement in vehicle lighting technology with most vehicles now with Xeon of other much more powerfull headlamps than we had in the sixties. Why do we still needd so many street lamps on? with all the eneergy, infrastructure and maintenance they require? The mind boggles!
- Bob Davenport, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, 14/10/2008 14:30
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I think it's a great idea. If the save the planet argument doesn't appeal how about the lower council tax increases - the price of electricity has gone up and up. I hate that awful orange glow some kids haven't even seen stars before. And if criminals can't see then they need lights right? So isn't it easier to spot a criminal with a flashlight then one without? The whole argument that this increases crime doesn't make sense to me. Imagine a bunch of louts hanging around with torches - somehow I just can't picture it.
- Nick, Lewes, UK, 23/08/2008 09:51
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Wonderful to read so many relevant comments on this subject - this really is the icing on the cake! Pay cuts for the police; Increase immigration to the point of explosion, bring in the modern day Fagins of this world; bring in the modern day Al Capones of this world. Turn off the street lights; increase energy prices to pay for turning off the street lights!
Have we not learned anything from history!
- Anthony, Croydon, 12/02/2008 09:03
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If this is rolled out everywhere the bad people will have a field day (sorry night).
I live in a block of flats, hey they could turn the lights out at the base, hmmm! No one would approach the building at night. Oooh, I know how about turning off the power to the lifts, and stairway lights too, we would stay in like good little prisoners. Then watch our cars get stolen and be unable to do anything.
Fit reflectors on the top of lights to bounce the light back to the road instead of sending it up, and get rid of the silly ball lights that seem to be `in` for town centres.
Someone who thought this up...get a life.
- Rob, Oldbury, England, 12/02/2008 02:27
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The criminal class wins again.
- Trunk, US, 11/02/2008 23:13
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This is the same loony council who will pay a tradesman £350 to change 'a ' lightbulb in a school corridor.
- Charles, High Wycombe, 11/02/2008 21:46
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The up side is you get to see the stars and moon. Unfortunately some people have anxieties concerning the night (dark). And it really doesn't matter how much light (or none) you use in an area they will still have those fears. I have talked with a policeman who was scared of the dark.
- Michael, London, UK, 11/02/2008 19:47
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In Germany and Holland they have street lamps powered by solar panels: clean and efficient!
- Rebis, London, 11/02/2008 18:44
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Yet another really, really bad idea from a bunch of "Government backed" dimwits.
- Sarah, London, 11/02/2008 18:34
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Well what you expect? Everywhere lunacy seems to have taken over sanity. Yet the coal fired stations in China and India spring up a new every day. Yes, let's fall over that pothole that we saw earlier in the light and put in a big claim as the lunatic council switched off the street lights.
- Michael Riley, London., 11/02/2008 17:16
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Isabel (Woking) has come up with a valid point, indeed!
A recent print-media feature on the forthcoming Olympics which is going to be hosted by China tells us that by the opening of the games, around 90% of street lights in the city would start functioning utilizing 'solar energy' as a source. Likewise, the solar energy would also be utilized for water-heating to meet more than 90% of entire hot water needs of tens of thousands of foreigners including athletes, delegates and tourists etc. during the games.
Britain might well learn its lesson.
- Nadeem Asghar, London, UK., 11/02/2008 17:07
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Just wait till the legal claims starting pouring in over injuries and assaults. That saving will look like a pittance!
- Jinni, redbridge, 11/02/2008 16:34
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Well, I'm not surprised by the news that Bucks County Council are involved. I work for this totally inept Local Authority in education, and I see them pouring money down the drain on a daily basis.
For instance, I know of one project that is approximately £100,000 over budget and is still not finished. So, the supposed £100,000 they will save from street lighting will not actually be a saving at all.
What a total waste of time.
- Matt, Winslow, England, 11/02/2008 16:30
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Are these people totally mad!? Today on the news three youths have been given life sentences for kicking to death a man in the street (having first vandalised his car) I'm sure that stories like this will be repeated. Crime in these areas will go up because of this lunatic measure. I wonder if this experiment to see "whether the darkness would attract vandals and burglars" is being staged in areas where councillors and MPs live?
- David Watkinson, Woking, England, 11/02/2008 15:29
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If they went over to far more efficient LED based lamps, there would be no need for this.
The highways agency is changing traffic lights over because it works out degrees cheaper than old bulbs.
But I suppose they are simply playing the 'environment card' to get out of their responsibilities.
- Roger, Guildford, 11/02/2008 14:43
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What? First they take the police away from the streets and now the lights? This does not make sense. Pretty soon we just pay tax and get NOTHING back (or you have to be a social case and get everything and for free).
- Steveo, London, 11/02/2008 14:25
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The amount of energy used by lights is negligible compared to other wasteful and harmful practises employed by industry. This is just a strategy for making the average decent person feel guilty about destructive practises that global governments urgently needs to legislate on. People should not be made to feel vulnerable because of some unrealistic do-good notions. Having said that, crime should be tackled and this is two separate issues. Criminals create crime, not darkness.
- Real, London UK, 11/02/2008 13:54
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From the point of view of sleep, I like this idea. But as a user of night buses I'd be extremely concerned if I stepped off a bus and found I was in darkness. I deliberately use well-lit routes later in the evening or overnight, even when it means walking slightly farther. From a safety point of view, therefore, I'd hope my council would give me warning if it were to switch off the lights, to give me a chance to plan some other means of transport - I suppose I'd have to start paying for taxis rather than walk for five minutes from the bus stop.
- Suzanne, London, 11/02/2008 13:51
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Why don't they just force shops to turn their garish window lights off after, say, 9pm until 7am. Oh I forgot, it's every individuals' responsibility to save the world, but when businesses are expected to play a role leniency is the order of the day.
- Lee, london, 11/02/2008 13:39
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It's time to stop justifying every ridiculous governmental decision as an effort to tackle climate change. Sometimes, public safety and common sense should be put ahead of a negligible and dubious reduction in CO2.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 11/02/2008 13:21
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Why don't they switch off half or three-quarters of the lights? Dim lighting is a lot better than none at all?
They could also use PIR sensors to light up when someone is walking past and turn off when no-one is about. Or they could put a high-wattage and a low-wattage lamp in each street light, and switch from high to low at midnight.
I approve of saving energy, but plunging the country into blackness is too extreme, and there are alternatives.
- Nigel, London, 11/02/2008 11:58
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How stupid! And this in a time where they are constantly raising taxes to enormous levels.
- Georgie, Islington, London, 11/02/2008 11:36
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Couldn't each street light be solar powered by its own panel?
- Isabel, Woking, England, 11/02/2008 11:21
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Presumably they will be reducing council tax after saving all this money?
James, you have just caused me to injure myself as I fell off my chair laughing at this. The words "reducing council tax" are an oxymoron.
- Marc, Harrow, UK, 11/02/2008 11:19
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Eleven years of Nu Labour and this is what it has come to, stepping back into the Dark ages, you may just as well leave your doors open when you go to bed. The criminal element we have in our multicultural society will be rubbing their hands together in anticipation of all the councils in England following suit, the criminals will have a field day.
- Bazzer, West Country, England., 11/02/2008 10:43
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This is in effect a curfew for many people, who will be too afraid to be out late, and with very good reason. Curfews, ID cards, what next? And this is meant to be a free country, an example to others? Don't make me laugh.
- John, Croydon, 11/02/2008 10:39
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A huge amount of money and energy could be saved if the head of one school, in Tower Hamlets, turned their PC screens off at night. They must leave dozens of them on overnight and the whole building emits a blue glow as you go by.
- Md, London, 11/02/2008 10:38
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Presumably they will be reducing council tax after saving all this money?
- James, London, 11/02/2008 10:14
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Certainly not an idea that I am completely against, but how about councils leading a campaign to reduce energy waste in offices if they are so concerned about energy wastage? In central city areas, the number of large empty office blocks lit up like Christmas trees all night is phenomenal. Not to mention shops which have close at 6 or whatever yet remain fully lit all night. The amount of energy wastage and light pollution from these sources must be enormous.
- Headhunter, London, 11/02/2008 09:43
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Im all for stopping wastage, but not when it is putting peoples lives at risk!
Are we not paying our taxes for this?
The levels of crimes and rapes and muggings etc., will soar! Especially in the unfortunate circumstances we are currently living in where youths are hanging out way past midnight causing mayhem on our streets! This coupled with the fact that there will be less police on the streets after the cuts that were made last week will bring a smile to all those looking for trouble.
This is just unbelievable, people have to sacrifice their own safety and confidence in their own home for the sake of saving energy.
- Anon, London, 11/02/2008 09:42
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With 24-hour drinking, midnight means nothing in urban areas. Many streets are full of drunken revellers returning home between 12 midnight and 2 or 3 in the morning. Nobody is going to benefit from their having to find their way home along pitch black streets.
- N. Page, London, 11/02/2008 09:25
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Good news for amateur astronomers and I really do not think it will make any difference to the crime levels. Flying over London you wonder whether these so called lighting engineers are lighting up the sky instead of the streets below.
- Stephen D., London England., 11/02/2008 09:19
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I wish they would expand this to the cities as well. We would not only save huge amounts of energy, but we would be able to see the stars again!
- Fred, London, 11/02/2008 08:36
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Bucks County Council clearly has the interests of money ahead of the interests of keeping the crime in the county under control. It is lunacy (pun intended because "lunacy" and "lune" or "moon" are clearly related; "lunatic behaviour" used to be regarded as the odd way people behaved when under the negative influence of the moon) to think crime won't increase when darkness prevails.
- Anne Hamilton, Bourne End, Bucks, 11/02/2008 08:10
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