Half Northamptonshire's street lights to be turned off

Half of the county's street lights will be turned off in May.
A money-saving county council initiative will see a 50 per cent reduction in the cost of street lighting across Northamptonshire - meaning one in two lamps will be switched off.
The scheme is expected to save cash strapped Northants County Council £2million.
It is part of cuts of £73million this year, aimed at combating the loss of income from Central Government and the after effects of the recession. A council spokesman said the move would not mean that every second street light would be turned off.
He said: "A priority list is being developed in conjunction with the police and road safety officers that will enable the council to identify where it is most appropriate for most lights to be maintained, and where they can be switched off."
County council officials are also championing the environmental impact of the switch-off, saying it will reduce its energy consumption and carbon footprint.
Any lights that are due to be switched off will be marked with an adhesive sticker, and the spokesman added that the council will be reducing its target to repair faulty street lamps from 28 to 10 days to mitigate the impact of the switch-off.
County council cabinet member for highways, minerals and waste, Councillor Heather Smith, said: "Budget pressures have meant that the council has had to bring in these changes quickly.
"However with pressure of rising fuel costs and to reduce carbon emissions changes in how our towns are lit would have been inevitable.
"The idea of turning off street lights has been touted nationally for some time now and increasingly we’re seeing authorities around the country turning off street lights as a way of saving money.
"This isn’t about turning off every other light. A number of factors are taken into consideration when choosing which lights will be turned off with peoples' safety an obvious priority."
The programme will be rolled out in South Northamptonshire in May, with Corby, East Northants, Daventry and Wellingborough lights being turned off at the same time.
Street lights in Kettering and Northampton will be turned off in June.

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