Thousands of new LED street lights introduced across county

Dec 26, 2023

THOUSANDS of old-style streetlights have been replaced with LEDs across Worcestershire.

An ambitious project to upgrade 21,000 streetlights to new LED (‘light-emitting diode’) luminaires across Worcestershire has now finished – more than a year earlier than planned.

Around £6million has been invested by Worcestershire County Council into revamping lighting mostly in residential roads, with older lamps being replaced with LED technology.

The LED lights save energy compared to older bulbs, help to reduce the County’s carbon footprint and reduce the need for maintenance.

Councillor Mike Rouse, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Transport and Highways said, “The streetlight upgrade programme is a significant project and I’m delighted that the initiative has been completed ahead of schedule, bringing more efficient and environmentally friendly lighting across Worcestershire.

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"We have invested £6 million in the project and despite a number of significant issues affecting the supply of LEDs, such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the team has worked hard to secure stock and accelerate the rollout.’’

The upgraded LED lights save around 40-60% of energy compared to the older bulbs that are being replaced and are more efficient as they are expected to last up to 20 years, saving taxpayers’ money being spent on regularly replacing the bulbs.

"The county council’s energy usage has also reduced by 21 per cent when compared to last year.

They’re also much better for the environment, helping to reduce the county’s carbon footprint. In areas where it appears that older streetlights have yet to be replaced or may have been missed, it is the intention that crews will return to them.

There are several factors that may have prevented them being replaced initially, such as operatives unable to safely gain access to equipment due to foliage, parked cars or a need to replace the entire lamp column."

The works started in April 2022. Due to rising energy costs the programme was accelerated and completed ahead of schedule this month.

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