As part of a county wide initiative Wiltshire Council is proposing to convert the street lighting in Pitchens End to LED lighting between mid-August and mid-September 2021. The older types of lights are going out of production and the cost of energy is becoming prohibitive. The total annual cost for street lighting energy in Wiltshire is currently over £1,900,000. The new lights are much more energy efficient and have a reduced carbon footprint.
The light from the LED units looks different as it is not orange in colour as some of the older lighting. The new lights will provide similar lighting levels with less light spill and be considerably cheaper to operate and maintain.
The conversion will be carried out quickly with little disturbance and disruption as it is only the electrical equipment being changed. However, in a few cases it may be necessary to renew the lighting column which will require excavation in the pavement to provide and connect the new column.
A major advantage is that LED lights provide the opportunity to dim the lighting during off-peak periods to further reduce energy consumption. LED lighting dimmed between 8pm and 6am, with additional dimming after 11pm, would typically reduce energy consumption by 69% compared to the current SOX units.
More information is available on-line at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/highways-improvements-led-lighting which should answer any questions you may have.
The operation of the lighting and the dimming regime will be reviewed after six months. We will consult with you at that time to determine whether you collectively would like to adjust the dimming regime.
If you have any queries please contact either Parish Councillor, Jim Gunter, at jim.gunter@bhwbparishcouncil.org or the Parish Clerk at clerk@bhwbparishcoincil.org
Jim Gunter