News release from NPT CBC

Councillors give go ahead for public lighting improvements

Councillors have today (Wednesday) given the go-ahead for the third and final phase of the public lighting renewal project in Neath Port Talbot.

Despite the unprecedented budget challenges faced by the Council, Councillors agreed that with some minor changes to the proposed work programme, the project should progress.

The Council currently pays around £980,000 in energy bills for public lighting and using less energy will help keep costs down in future.

The multi-million pound phased investment project to ensure that the public lighting stock in Neath Port Talbot is electrically and structurally sound commenced at the end of 2011.

During the first phase of the programme approximately 4,000 wooden pole mounted street lights have been replaced both in residential areas and along some of the county borough roads.

The second phase of the project dealt with a similar number of old concrete columns and the final phase will concentrate on the remaining concrete, steel, cast iron and fibreglass stock.

By the end of the project which is due to be completed in April 2017, around 15,000 lighting units will have been renewed.

The new white lights will use less energy and the new equipment can be centrally controlled to provide for dimming of lamps during the early hours of the morning for example. This will save further energy and achieve savings of around £100,000 per year.

Councillor Ali Thomas, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said:  "Ageing public lighting stocks are an issue for many local authorities. We have carefully considered and planned how to tackle the situation in Neath Port Talbot, considering the ongoing challenging budget situation we are facing.

“Completing this investment in our public lighting will not only deliver long term savings in our annual energy bills but also ensure that our streets are kept well lit and that local residents feel safe in their community.”