PLANS for converting Thurrock’s stock of street lights to LED were approved by the council’s cabinet on Wednesday (27 August) evening.
The proposal was introduced by Leader of the Council, Cllr John Kent, following the sudden and untimely death of portfolio holder Cllr Andy Smith earlier in the month.
Cllr Kent said: “One of the last things my friend Andy Smith did with Thurrock Council was to work with the transportation team on replacing our aging inefficient and expensive street lights.
“The switch over to LED, which will take at least two years from the time we appoint contractors, will provide Thurrock drivers and pedestrians with improved, white light; it will provide Thurrock’s tax payers with a saving of £¼ million a year; and it will significantly reduce this authority’s electricity consumption.
“While this proposal is a real win-win at a time when we are seeking savings and we all want to be more environmentally friendly; what particularly pleased Andy about this was the opportunity it was going to give him to have a go at Essex County Council.
“Andy made no secret of the fact he was not a fan of Essex County. He led this borough to break away and win unitary status, but the fact that Essex was turning off street lights in some places to much public consternation and we were investing made him smile – something I’ll remember.”
But Cllr Kent said: “It seems there’s a bit of confusion about how we will make a saving, so let’s look at the costs.
“Currently we pay around £800,000 a year to light the 17,000 or so street lamps, a cost that’s rising at around 10 per cent or £80,000 a year. In addition, the traditional sodium lights all need replacing every four or five years.
“The government is also looking at ways of ‘encouraging’ authorities like ours to reduce their carbon footprint – this will be in much the same way we are ‘encouraged’ not to put rubbish in landfill … the cost shoots up because we’re taxed on it.
“But even without that, the payments we’ll have to make on a £6 million loan is estimated at £430,000 a year while the saving on the electricity bill, replacement and maintenance will be around £680,000 a year. Simple maths, we save at least £250,000.
“Everyone knows we moaned and groaned about having to switch to ‘low energy’ lights at home, but now it’s something we accept as normal and sensible. This proposal has exactly the same reasoning.
“Investing to save sometimes seems a strange logic. If money’s tight how can we afford to invest, yet again it’s something we’ve all done at home – whether it’s a new boiler, double- or even triple-glazing, or insulation in the walls and roof – short- and medium-term costs leading to long-term savings.
“It’s good for the environment, it’s good for people and it’s good for our pocket.”
