Streetlights which are currently installed in the Oswestry area are to be converted to the ‘Part-night lighting’ scheme which means that they will switch themselves off between midnight and 5.30am. There will be 12,500 streetlights across the county which are maintained and serviced by Shropshire Council are now under the process of being converted as part of a 3 year project which began earlier this year in April, with almost 7,000 lights already converted.

So far, it’s only been the South Shropshire and Shrewsbury are that have been converted, however it is now Oswestry’s turn, with North Shropshire and Bridgnorth area being followed in the new financial year. The conversion of the 12,500 lights to the new scheme will reduce carbon energy use by a total of 20% - saving 812 tonnes of carbon and 1.56 million kilowatt-hours of power states Shropshire Council. The plans were approved in September 2011by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet back, following detailed discussion between Shropshire Council, police, town councils and parish councils about how the scheme would work.

Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, Claire Wild said, “A lot of work went into the project right at the start to reassure people that turning lights off in the middle of night would not lead to increased levels of crime and disorder. Evidence gathered from other parts of the country showed that crime often decreased in areas where lights were converted to part-night lighting, and indeed that has been the case here in Shropshire. A partnership group of council officers and the police are checking crime statistics regularly and comparing them to where lights are being converted, and there has been no evidence to suggest that public safety is being affected. If the partnership group have any concerns about a particular area then lights will not be switched off, it’s as simple as that.”

Lights at sheltered housing schemes, dangerous road junctions or areas considered to be at a high risk of anti-social behaviour were not considered for part-night lighting. Lights are due to start being converted in Oswestry from Monday 6 January 2014.