Removal of street lights saves Welsh council £1.5m
The changes to streetlight provision has seen their loss in some rural areas
Alterations to street lighting in Pembrokeshire, resulting in the removal of some lights in rural locales, have reportedly led to savings of £1.5 million annually for the council.
At the May session of Pembrokeshire Council, Councillor Michael John posed a question highlighting concerns: "The loss of streetlights in rural areas is an issue which causes great concern to any members of the public affected, and one which is raised with me regularly." For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
He continued to express the shared worries among constituents: "I believe it is an issue that a number of other members have raised and continue to raise with the department also. Given the policy was introduced around 2006, nearly 20 years ago, does the Cabinet Member agree it would be a good time for it to be reviewed?".
In reply, Cabinet Member for Residents' Services, Councillor Rhys Sinnett, recalled the initiation of these changes being spurred by a motion from a former county councillor in 2008.
He explained that the necessity for lighting was determined based on criteria including night-time accidents, frequency of use by traffic and pedestrians, crime rates at night, and local residential populations.
Article continues below
The council meeting was informed that savings were derived from adopting more efficient LED lighting, data-driven approaches to where new lighting should be installed, and removing lighting that fell short of the established criteria, leading to an annual £1.5 million saving alongside reduced carbon emissions.
Councillor Sinnett acknowledged the issues brought up since the implementation of the lighting changes and agreed they could be re-evaluated by an appropriate council scrutiny committee.
Councillor Sinnett expressed his backing as one of the early proponents of the policy shift, acknowledging that while it hasn't been met with unanimous approval, the change "has had some quite positive effects in terms of budget savings and carbon reduction". He concluded: "I commend the administration of the time for having the courage to introduce that."
Article continues below
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
7 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Opinion: Powys County Council to blame for school's woes
It's summer! School holidays, seaside day trips, harvest time and of course a local show every weekend for everyone to enjoy. Local shows do offer an affordable family day out in comparison to the Royal Welsh Show, but the Royal Welsh is like no other show, Wales at its best, and it plays a huge role in the promotion of the farming and food sector in Wales. For those that attend, they would not have been left in any doubt about the quality of food and drink produced here in Wales. Every farmer I speak to, their number one priority is to produce food for our nation, but it is getting more difficult every day, UK and Welsh governments appear to have different priorities. The long awaited 'new' sustainable farming scheme still forces farmers to plant trees; it will lead to real terms cuts in funding and there was not one mention of food security in the latest draft of this policy. Welsh Government through legislation distort priorities, it adds to red tape that will see food production fall here in Wales, we will become ever more reliant on imports at a time when the cost of feeding our families is increasing, and I haven't even mentioned UK Labour's Government Family Farm Tax. Farmers want to farm, they love their farms but are seeing their business suffocated by Welsh Government, the same is true for many small businesses across mid Wales they want the freedom to do what they do best. Small and medium sized business are the backbone to the local economy. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, in County Hall, the wheels are falling off the Liberal Democrat/Labour run Council. The Cabinet's incoherent transformation programme and refusal to properly fund education has led to one of the best schools going into special measures. However, there is a little bit of good news, the Cabinet conceded that their home to school transport policy is simply not good enough and needs to be changed, but Welsh Government legislation makes the process of change slow. Therefore, I was pleased to gain a commitment to help support parental choice through the appeals process, to over come the difficulties of the Council's newly introduced Home to School transport policy. Hopefully readers will be able to attend their local show.
Leader Live
12 hours ago
- Leader Live
Farmers Union of Wales reacts to this years Royal Welsh Show
This year's Royal Welsh Show was a resounding success once again for the FUW Group. The Pavilion was a hive of activity throughout the week, welcoming members, the public, politicians and policymakers to discuss the many changes and challenges facing Welsh agriculture. A key highlight of the week was the launch of the Union's 'A Mandate for Future Farmers' report, outlining the FUW's vision for increasing opportunities for young farmers and new entrants in Wales. A well-attended launch, chaired by the FUW's Policy Officer, Teleri Fielden, gave 3 young farmers an opportunity to share their own experiences of farming. Meanwhile representatives from Farming Connect and Wales YFC also gave further insight into some of the opportunities and challenges facing new entrants and young farmers. As the dust continues to settle following the launch of the Sustainable Farming Scheme, Monday saw a jam-packed seminar on the subject, providing members and the public with the opportunity to question the Welsh Government on elements of the SFS, and what it means for their own businesses. Wednesday morning also provided an opportunity to delve into the Welsh Government's new Ffermio Bro agri-environment scheme, exploring its potential to support farmers within Wales' National Parks and Designated Landscapes. Beyond policy discussions the week also provided an opportunity for celebration, with the FUW marking its 70th birthday. A panel discussion was held on Wednesday to mark the occasion, bringing together Glyn Roberts, Huw Jones, Ann Davies MP and Tom Jones. Chaired by Dei Tomos, this provided the panellists and the audience with the opportunity to reminisce and reflect on seventy years of the FUW. Throughout the week the FUW Presidential team and policy officers met with a wide range of politicians from all political parties, ensuring the voice and concerns of members were heard loud and clear. These included First Minister, Eluned Morgan MS, Deputy First Minister, Huw Irranca Davies MS, UK Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch MP, Dame Nia Griffith MP, and several Plaid Cymru MPs and MS'. As well as responding to a steady stream of interview bids from the media on everything from the SFS to Agricultural Property Relief, mental health to the India Trade Deal, there was also an opportunity for some entertainment too, with Bwncath's Tuesday night gig a sell-out once again. A successful Presidential Reception was also held, rewarding Glyn Roberts, John Owen and Alun Elidyr for their huge contributions to Welsh agriculture. Thanks to everyone who called by our pavilion this year, and made the Show a resounding success once again. We look forward to continuing our stream of county shows across Wales over the coming weeks.
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Powys County Times
Calls in parliament to scrap Powys patient wait increase
Calls have been made in Parliament to for Powys Teaching Health Board to scrap its policy that intentionally increased wait times for patients using English Hospitals. Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP, David Chadwick challenged Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens, arguing that the change made earlier this year undermines both Welsh and UK Government commitments to reduce NHS waiting lists and help people return to work. It was revealed at a meeting of Powys Teaching Health Board that the trust that runs Shrewsbury Hospital has so far not implemented the changes. Chief Executive of Powys Teaching Health Board warned that further 'unpalatable' changes were being prepared as the Trust tries to battle a budget deficit of over £30 million. Mr Chadwick highlighted the case of his constituent Melanie Walker, from Llandrindod Wells, who has already waited 59 weeks for a hip operation and now faces an additional 45-week delay due to the new policy. He asked Ms Stevens whether she considered this fair to Melanie or consistent with her Government's pledge to reduce waiting times. While Ms Stevens expressed sympathy for Melanie's case, she deflected the question with a political attack on the Liberal Democrats, a response Chadwick later called 'very disappointing.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app 'Powys Health Board needs to drop this policy immediately. It's placing patients' wellbeing at risk, and they have seemingly not provided detailed impact assessments or modelling regarding the policy,' said Mr Chadwick. 'I was extremely disappointed that when I raised such an important issue with the Welsh Secretary, she chose to descend into party political attacks rather than address the case I brought forward. 'The Welsh Labour Government continues to deny it has responsibility on this issue, but this crisis is a direct consequence of its underfunding of Powys Teaching Health Board and the cuts the Welsh Government are forcing it to make.' The party have also criticised the responses they have received from the Welsh Government and Health Minister Jeremy Miles when raising the issue with him and claim that the Welsh Government is "essentially trying to wash its hands of the issue, despite forcing Powys Health Board to make huge cuts to its budget".
