New proposals would give communities a say in streetlighting times
Streetlighting times in Oxfordshire could be amended if communities specifically request it under an updated policy to be presented to Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet next week.
The part-night lighting framework is recommended for approval on 21 October, having been deferred from last November so that further discussions and consultation could take place.
If approved, requests to turn off streetlights between 11.30pm and 5.30am in rural locations and from midnight to 5.30am in urban areas would only be considered if they are proposed by the parish or town council and the ward county councillor – in a similar way to how the council’s 20mph programme operates.
The framework contains a series of exemptions to make sure part-night lighting is not considered in places where it might compromise safety, such as major road junctions, slip roads, rail crossings, areas of traffic calming, waterside paths, remote alleyways, high crime areas, and locations supporting the night-time economy.
For these reasons, major urban areas such as Oxford are unlikely to be suitable to take part in the scheme and the lights would stay on all night.
Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We have learned lessons from last year’s proposals and are confident the updated policy and the way it would be implemented would not reduce public safety.
“Since November, we have been engaging with stakeholders and held a public consultation which have informed the updated policy and the proposed implementation framework.
“If approved, part-night lighting would only be implemented on a case-by -case basis and there would not be a one-size-fits-all approach.
“There are many places where it would not be suitable for safety reasons. However, it’s also important to recognise that for some of our communities there would be positive benefits from this – reducing light pollution can help improve biodiversity and nature recovery.”
If the updated streetlighting policy is approved, part-night lighting schemes would only proceed if the community wanted to adopt it. There would be a further public consultation for each scheme.
Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for about 60,000 streetlights in the county and reducing hours of operation – where safe to do so and where requested – would have environmental benefits through reducing carbon emissions and improving biodiversity, as well as cutting energy costs.
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