Councillors in the dark over street lights 11/8/11
A delayed policy to switch off island streets lights between midnight and daybreak will soon be implemented.
It apparently did not dawn on councillors that their vote to turning off the lights for an extra hour each night could not readily achieve cash savings. A fixed price contract meant the council paid the same bill regardless of how much electricity was used.
The council now proposes to install time clocks to lamposts to switch them off longer than at present and meter the cost. It will also change paying an expensive set sum for the bulk supply of electricity when contracts are renewed.
On Lewis, from September onwards, only Stornoway, plus Plasterfield and Parkend will
have all-
Similar cuts are proposed for Tarbert, Benbecula and Castlebay where the dusk-
The use of dimmer bulbs have been tested out in Scotland Street in Stornoway but their higher cost and minimal savings means this idea is not likely to be rolled out extensively.
Cutting back on street lights was a budget cut proposed by members of the community . It is hoped around £20,000 could be saved by the darker skies policy.
The Comhairle is also asking for suggestions where individual lampposts or amenity lightening could be removed.
It says work has already on implementing the reduction in lit hours in Lewis and the majority of lighting sections across the islands should have reduced lit hours by September.
Works are initially focused on the main lighting sections which will offer the largest savings.