Shropshire Council continues to convert streetlights to LED

Shropshire Council has upgraded more than 16,500 of its 20,084 streetlights to LED lighting – with the remainder set to be converted by the end of March.

The conversion will save the council more than £1m a year in reduced energy and maintenance costs once the conversion is complete, and save almost 7,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.

While the conversion work has been taking place, the structural and electrical condition of the streetlight columns has also been assessed to determine if further work is needed – with many set to be replaced.

The new LED lanterns are expected to have a lower failure rate and a much longer life expectancy than standard street lights, significantly reducing ongoing maintenance.

Dan Morris, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said:

“We’re now coming to the end of an ambitious upgrade of our street lighting stock, to replace outdated and energy inefficient lamps with new LED fittings. This work will save money for the council and for council tax payers, and reduce carbon emissions. The new LED lanterns will also result in fewer faulty or failed streetlights in future.

“During this work we have taken the opportunity to undertake structural testing of the council’s aging lighting columns. Many people will have noticed that some columns have been taken out of commission, or even cut down. This has been necessary to protect the safety of our road users and residents, as well as ensuring the council is compliant with industry standards.

“We’re also aware that concerns have been raised about unlit streetlights and gaps in the LED replacement programme, specifically around some junctions. In order to ensure road users are not disrupted unduly on multiple occasions, many of these replacements are being coordinated with other planned roadworks and road closures.”

It’s estimated that the total cost of the conversion work will be £6.3m. Of this, 44% is being paid through an interest-free loan from Salix Finance. Kier is converting the lights on behalf of Shropshire Council.