Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet has approved an updated policy after it was deferred last November so that further engagement and consultation could take place.

Requests to turn off streetlights between 11.30pm and 5.30am in rural locations and from midnight to 5.30am in urban areas will now 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.

Each scheme will also be reviewed by Thames Valley Police using crime, fear of crime and road safety data to ensure there is no increased risk to public safety.

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.

Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for about 60,000 streetlights across 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.

The implementation of part-night lighting complements other existing energy and carbon reduction measures already introduced, including; streetlighting LED lantern conversion, the de-illumination of traffic bollards and dimming of streetlights.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We have confidence that the updated policy and the way it would be implemented would not reduce public safety. Part-night lighting will only be implemented on a case-by -case basis and there will not be a one-size-fits-all approach.

“Since November 2024, we have been carefully engaging with stakeholders and held a public consultation. This approach has informed the updated policy.

“While there are many places where implementation would not be suitable for safety reasons it’s also important to recognise that for some of our communities there would be positive benefits from this. For instance, reducing light pollution can help improve biodiversity and nature recovery.

“As a result of cabinet’s approval, part-night lighting schemes would only proceed if the community wanted to adopt it. There would be a further public and stakeholder consultation for each scheme.”

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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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Oxfordshire County Council is holding a consultation to seek the public’s views on how the ‘part-night lighting’ plans should work.

The consultation will focus on how, not where, part-night lighting (PNL) might be implemented. Locations would be a matter for communities themselves to decide and would then be subject to a further local consultation.

Previous proposals, known as ‘dark skies’, were deferred in November 2024 after concerns were raised. As a result, the aim is to give communities the choice to introduce PNL in their area only if they want it.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We want to hear people’s views and concerns, especially to help us understand potential impacts on those who are perceived as being at risk from crime or harm.

“The aim of the policy is to improve the natural environment from a carbon and biodiversity perspective, while keeping personal and community safety as a priority consideration.

“We recognise that one size does not fit all. Different operating hours, levels of light intensity and exemptions will form part of our proposals to meet different communities’ needs. And there is no intention of reducing streetlighting in areas where there are concerns about the impact.

“We want PNL to be a community choice which is why the public’s feedback is crucial in helping us to get this right.”

The implementation process being proposed is similar to Oxfordshire’s 20mph programme. Applications would have to be requested by the town or parish council and supported by the ward county councillor.

People can take part in the consultation on the council’s Let’s Talk Oxfordshire website until 6 July. Paper copies can also be requested at local libraries.

New proposals are expected to be presented for a decision by the council’s cabinet in September.

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The ‘Dark Skies’ proposals are due to be discussed tomorrow (Thursday) at a cabinet member’s decision meeting of the Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, Councillor Pete Sudbury.

However, ahead of the meeting, Cllr Sudbury said he intends to defer the decision until further work has been carried out, including more consultation, and talks with the police. It follows safety concerns raised by communities and other groups about the impact of the proposals.

Cllr Sudbury added: “This was intended as a technical document, which was meant to be a framework on which to base next stages, including consultation, and authorise expenditure. Unfortunately, it was quite understandably seen as a plan for immediate implementation.

“As a result, it set a lot of hares running, and I apologise for any upset caused.

“I'm grateful to all the people who have written to me and would urge them to speak at the meeting tomorrow because this is a real opportunity to influence how this goes forward.”

Although no decision will be made tomorrow, public speakers are still welcome and the deadline to register to speak, either online or in person at County Hall, has been extended until 12.30pm tomorrow. To register, email committeesdemocraticservices@oxfordshire.gov.uk

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The number of categories has been streamlined but they have now been split up into sub-categories to make it easier for people to find the section they are looking for.

In some cases, more information and illustrations have been provided to help users choose the most appropriate category.

The changes are aimed at reducing the number of reports sent to the wrong department or council, which can delay the problem being resolved.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We are incredibly grateful to all the people who take the time and effort to report matters to us on Fix My Street. They are our eyes and ears around the county, alerting us to issues affecting their neighbourhoods, which have not been picked up by our highways team’s routine inspections.

“Users may notice that we have made some tweaks to the system, which we hope will make it more straightforward for users and quicker for us and our partners at the city and district councils to deal with problems.”

The updated version also includes an aerial map of the county, as well as a regular map, to help people pinpoint the location of the problem.

The changes will be monitored over the next three months to see what impact they have, and the views of users will be sought.

More than 1,000 reports are regularly made to Fix My Street every week, with users encouraged to include photographs of the defect to help the inspectors.

Where the issue is Oxfordshire County Council’s responsibility, an inspector will prioritise it depending on how dangerous it is and the person making the report will be kept up to date on its progress.

The Fix My Street app can still be found on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

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The rising demand for next-generation wireless service is leading to the exploration of opportunities to install smart infrastructure on lamp posts, traffic lights, CCTV columns, benches, bins and bus stops.

That is why six local authorities – including Oxfordshire County Council – will receive funding to trial new multi-purpose street columns which will house equipment to support the rollout of advanced wireless networks like 5G or free public WiFi.

The columns can be adapted to carry out a range of functions – from charging EVs, monitoring air quality and displaying public information to saving energy with street lighting. This builds on Oxfordshire County Council’s existing project to replace existing halogen bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs.

The money is coming from the government’s Smart Infrastructure Pilots Programme (SIPP) and the amount awarded will be matched by supplier contributions and savings from the council’s digital infrastructure fund to create a total investment of £500,000.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I am delighted with our success in this funding competition. It will help us in building and delivering our strategy for improving digital connectivity.

“This includes EV charging access, improving street-level mobile connectivity and creating a network of ‘Internet of Things’ devices measuring aspects such as air quality monitoring.”

The pilot will demonstrate how new connected installations can help local authorities to deliver better services in their communities.

Sir John Whittingdale, Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, said: “The way we stay in touch, access information and do business is underpinned by digital connectivity – and a world-class wireless infrastructure will be the foundation for the jobs, skills, and services of the future.

“We want to ensure that towns and cities across the UK are right at the forefront of this connectivity revolution, ready to seize the opportunities it will bring for local communities, which is exactly what these pilots are about.

 “They will help demonstrate how advanced wireless technology can enable areas to innovate and deliver better public services, from rolling out electric vehicle chargers to boosting business growth and helping keep our streets safe.”

The SIPP is designed to support the government’s wireless infrastructure strategy, which sets out how the UK will put wireless connectivity at the heart of new and existing infrastructure, while driving private investment, boosting innovation and unlocking new opportunities for economic growth.

The pilot programmes will begin from October 2023 and will run until 31 March 2025.

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In 2021, Oxfordshire County Council embarked on a four year project to fit all of the county’s streetlights with environmentally friendly light-emitting diodes (LED).

A total of 86 per cent of lights have now been converted. When completed, the £38 million project is expected to lead to energy savings of millions of pounds over the next 20 years.

The LED lights will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being produced by 70 per cent. Before the conversion programme started, the county’s streetlights accounted for around 7,596 tonnes of CO2 every year – representing nearly 35 per cent of the council’s total emissions.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “The LED streetlighting programme is biggest single project that we, as a council, are undertaking to reduce our own carbon emissions. So I am delighted it is on course to be completed next year, despite problems due to issues such as global material shortages.

“This will significantly help us to achieve our target of becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030 and save council taxpayers millions of pounds over the next two decades. It’s a real win-win.”

Last year, 24,383 LED units were fitted meaning that, by the end of March 2023, 51,992 of Oxfordshire’s 60,326 streetlights, wall mounted lights and lights on electricity poles have been converted.

As well as funding the LED conversions, the £38m is also enabling the replacement of 23,000 lighting columns, which are at the end of their structural life. This part of the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2025.

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Oxfordshire County Council cut its own corporate carbon emissions by eight per cent from April 2019 to March 2020, beating its target of six per cent. The replacement of boilers and streetlighting with more energy-efficient models, the installation of solar panels and the purchase of more electric vehicles were all factors in the reduction.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, said: “We made a promise last year to put climate action at the heart of everything we do, and these figures show we are delivering on that promise. The measures put in place mean 1,132 tonnes of carbon dioxide have been saved from ending up in the atmosphere.

“We are committed to becoming a carbon neutral council by 2030. We are making wide-ranging changes to the way we work and also laying the groundwork for Oxfordshire to go zero-carbon by 2050 by delivering infrastructure, forming partnerships for joint action.”

Oxfordshire County Council declared a climate emergency in April 2019 and developed a Climate Action Framework in 2020 to set out how to achieve its net-zero goals.

One of the key projects is the programme to replace the county’s streetlights with highly efficient, environmentally friendly LED (light-emitting diode) alternatives. Scheduled to take four years to complete, the county council is investing £40 million over this period, which also includes upgrading columns – but is expecting it to lead to savings of more than £75m over the next 20 years.

The move will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being produced by 70 per cent. Currently, the county’s street lights account for around 7,596 tonnes of CO2 every year – representing nearly 35 per cent of the council’s own operational emissions.

More than 2,800 streetlights were replaced in 2019/20, saving 245,109 kWh of electricity, and helping the council to exceed its emissions target for those 12 months.

And last week, a lighting upgrade project started at the county council’s park-and-rides at Thornhill and Oxford Parkway. It will introduce high-efficiency LED lighting technology with units pre-programmed to dim 50 per cent at night, increasing savings even further. And because they don’t need to warm up to reach full light capacity, they can be switched on slightly later – saving of 31 tonnes of CO2 a year and reducing energy usage by 70 per cent.

There will be no loss in quality as the new lighting will also be more clearly directed towards brightening both sites to help users feel safer and result in lower surrounding light pollution.

Jason Russell, Oxfordshire County Council’s Interim Director of Communities, said: “The decade to 2030 has been called ‘the decade of action’ against climate change. While it is true that over the next nine years remaining emissions will become progressively harder to eliminate, we are making substantial progress by taking early action to reduce energy consumption. This will maximise savings and help future-proof our services, assets and investments.”

The Climate Action Framework is affecting all aspects of council policy and responsibility, including:

• Replacing its fleet with electric vehicles (EVs) and creating more EV charging points.
• Generating its own clean power and buying from green energy sources.
• Seeing what services can be delivered digitally.
• Promoting active travel such as walking and cycling.
• Reducing its demand for energy.
• Setting sustainability standards for its suppliers.
• Helping schools meet their low-carbon targets.
• Maximising waste reduction and recycling.

The streets where work will take place from August 7 are Northfield Road, Pitts Road, Spooner Close, Tile House Close, Toot Hill Butts, Trafford Road, William Kimber Crescent, York Road, Cumberland Road, Essex Street, Glanville Road, Golden Road, Hertford Street, Milton Road, Morris Crescent, Shelley Road, Silver Road, Argyle Street, Bedford Street, Cavell Road, Chester Street, Daubeny Road, Fairacres Road, Jackdaw Lane.

The finance for the scheme as a whole comes from a £2.8m central Government grant and £1m of Oxfordshire County Council capital funding.

The streets in Headington area where the works will take place from July 17 are Bickerton Road, Cardwell Crescent, Gardiner Street, Highfield Avenue, Latimer Grange, Norton Close, Piper Street, Stapleton Road, Stonor Place, Valentia Road, Wilberforce Street and Windsor Street.

Further streets in Headington will see similar improvements later in July and during the first part of August.

The finance for the scheme as a whole comes from a £2.8m central Government grant and £1m of Oxfordshire County Council capital funding.

The streets in Cowley area where the works will take place from July 10 are Aston Street, Barnet Street, Catherine Street, Charles Street, Green Street, Hawkins Street, Henley Street, Percy Street, Randolph Street and Sidney Street.

The finance for the scheme as a whole comes from a £2.8m central Government grant and £1m of Oxfordshire County Council capital funding.