9,000 Essex Street Lights To Be Replaced By LED Lamps

Essex residents are set to see new LED lights being installed on their streets after 9,000 lamps are to be replaced by the end of the month.

New energy-saving LED bulbs will be used instead, which Essex County Council says will cost less money, use less energy and require less maintenance.

Councillor Eddie Johnson, the local authority’s cabinet member for Highways and Transport, states: “We are focusing this rollout on street lighting that currently remains on throughout the night to ensure the largest and quickest financial return for the taxpayer.”

The first phase of the programme will begin in Castle Point and Rochford, and later on, Basildon where 9,000 lights will be changed. Following this, a further 10,000 lamps will be replaced with LED units as part of a two-year project.

Once the rollout has been completed, Essex County Council estimates there will be savings of £600,000 a year as a result of cheaper energy and maintenance costs, while they will also spend less money on carbon taxes.

A remote-monitoring system will also be installed with each lamp so engineers can quickly spot any faulty units or alter the brightness from a different location.

This comes after Liverpool City Council revealed it is investing £4 million on replacing 9,380 streetlights with LED panels as part of the second phase of a LED rollout.

The Liverpool Express reported that 12,000 lights have already been fitted in Walton and Anfield, costing the local authority £7 million. However, the council claims it has already saved £585,000 in energy costs since they were installed in 2014.