Street light control may be handed over to Cumbrian council
Parish councils will be allowed to hand over control of street lighting to a local authority if they choose.Westmorland and Furness councillors agreed last week to accept proposals to bring the area's lights under the control of a central council-run unit.The plans include the authority potentially taking control of about 790 lighting units run by parish and town councils - with more than 19,000 street lights across the region.Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Thornton said the move would "bring an end to the inefficiency of street-lighting management".
Thornton said it would allow the council to move into "a new world of low-energy lighting which is carefully targeted to avoid light pollution"."By digitally controlling our street lights, we can produce the light we want, when we want it, to reduce consumption and ensure we are getting the most of every pound that we spend," he said.The local authority said the maintenance of lights would also be improved because having one central contol would allow automatic alerts to be set up to notify engineers when there is a problem.Liberal Democrat councillor Janet Battye said parish councils would not be forced to "hand anything over or do anything"."This proposal is a result of listening to them, working with them and responding to what they have been telling us they want," she said.
'Dark holes in village'
The council had previously sought the views of smaller authorities about the proposed move.Great Strickland Parish Council said many of its lights were attached to telegraph poles, and the current policy seemed to be "to remove rather than repair" lights when there was a problem."Our lighting stock is dwindling rapidly," said clerk Ruth Tupling, at the time of the consultation."This has resulted in 'dark holes' throughout the village, and meant that some of the older residents no longer feel able to go out in the dark."
Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Cumbrian council announces more plans for 20mph speed limit
A consultation has been launched over plans to further extend 20mph speed and Furness Council, in Cumbria, says the measure is aimed at making roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and of the 24 new locations are near schools, playgrounds and tourist comes as the authority rolls out the same restriction in an initial 20 areas this summer, at the beginning of a three-year plan. The council says the latest proposals have been developed in collaboration with parish and town councils to "address the specific needs of their communities" and target built-up areas where the current speed limit is either 30mph or Peter Thornton, cabinet member for highways, said residents' views were "at the centre of our plans" and initiatives would only go ahead if they had "strong community support".He added: "The outcome of our extensive consultation for the first year of the programme is a testament to that, as we have only moved forward with schemes that received clear community backing, as well as adjusting designs of half of the schemes based on local feedback."Details on the proposals are available on the council's website and anyone wishing to submit their views can then fill in an online survey by Friday 18 copies of the consultation are available at several libraries, while Penrith and Barrow libraries are set to host in-person events along with one at Kendal Town Hall. Which areas are included? The following locations could see the limits introduced:CliftonGamblesbyGlassonbyGreat AsbyGreystokePenrithSockbridge and TirrilStaintonCambridge Primary School, BarrowCows Tarn Lane, Walney IslandDane Ghyll Primary School, BarrowNewbarns Primary School, BarrowRamsden Infants School, BarrowSt Pauls Junior School, BarrowVictoria Infants and Victoria Junior School, BarrowWalney School, Sandy Gap Lane, Walney IslandCartmelGreenodd and Penny BridgeHevershamIngsKendalLevensMilnthorpeSatterthwaiteMore than 3,000 people gave their views on the first series of proposals, leading to 10 being given the go-ahead as originally designed, while the same number will be limits in five areas of Barrow were rejected.A further 27 requests for 20mph limits that were received as a part of the initial application process will be considered for the third and final year of the programme in 2027. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
NBC News
4 days ago
- NBC News
Gretchen Whitmer says she spoke to Trump after he said he was considering pardoning men who plotted to kidnap her
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday that she spoke to President Donald Trump after he said last week he was considering potentially pardoning the men who plotted to kidnap her. 'I will just confirm that I have connected with the president directly on this subject and made my thoughts known," Whitmer told reporters at an event in Detroit, according to her office. "Beyond that, I'm not going to share more about our conversation but hopefully he'll take some of those things into consideration when he makes a decision," she said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed later Tuesday that Trump and Whitmer, a Democrat, had spoken. She declined to disclose any additional details about the conversation but said, "I will reiterate what he said publicly when he was asked by one of the journalists in this room in the Oval Office a couple of weeks ago about the pardons. He said it's something he would look at, nothing more, nothing less.' The president told reporters at a press event in the Oval Office that he would "take a look" at potential pardons for the men who were convicted in the kidnapping plot. "I'm going to look at it. I will take a look at it. It's been brought to my attention. I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job," he said after a reporter asked about it. Whitmer, who has met with Trump in person multiple times this year, told NBC affiliate WOOD last week that she was 'very disappointed' that he was considering it. 'I'll be making my thoughts known to the White House and I hope they take it into consideration," she said. Over a dozen men were initially charged in the kidnapping scheme, though not all of them were tried in federal court (Trump doesn't have the power to intervene in state cases). Barry Croft Jr., who prosecutors said was the ringleader, is currently serving a nearly 20-year sentence in federal prison. A key co-conspirator, Adam Fox, was given a 16-year prison sentence.
The Independent
30-05-2025
- The Independent
California lawmaker won't be charged after citation for suspicion of impaired driving
A California state lawmaker who was cited by police on suspicion of driving under the influence did not have drugs or alcohol in her system and will not face any charges, the Sacramento district attorney said Friday. State Sen. Sebrina Cervantes was cited by Sacramento police earlier this month for impaired driving. She was involved in a vehicle crash and was taken by a private party to a hospital for minor injuries where officers observed 'objective signs of intoxication,' a police spokesperson said previously. The lawmaker also declined to perform sobriety tests, police said. 'The toxicology results were negative for any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs.' District Attorney Thien Ho's office said in a statement. 'We have reviewed all the submitted evidence, including police reports, witness statements, and laboratory results. Based on our ethical duty and the burden of proof in a criminal trial, the Sacramento County DA's Office declines to file any charges in this case.' Cervantes denied any wrongdoing and released lab results from the hospital showing she did not have alcohol or drugs in her system. Her office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. A Sacramento police spokesperson said officers follow 'established protocols' when issuing the citation and deferred questions about the district attorney's decision to the district attorney's office. Cervantes, a Democrat, was elected to the state Senate last year to represent part of the Inland Empire in southern California after years serving in the Assembly. She previously chaired the Latino Legislative Caucus. The citation follows other incidents in recent years in which Democratic state lawmakers in California have been suspected of driving drunk by local authorities. U.S. Rep. Dave Min, who was a state senator at the time, and then-Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo were arrested in separate incidents in 2023 for driving under the influence. Both apologized after their arrests.
