RESIDENTS are being consulted over plans to reduce street lighting as a way of cutting carbon emissions and saving money.

A public consultation on cutting street lighting in Hambleton is being launched by North Yorkshire County Council, in partnership with the district council.

The proposal is part of a four year county-wide programme aimed at reducing North Yorkshire’s annual £1.7m street lighting energy bill by approximately £400,000.

It is also expected to save 3,200 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Ultimately, the initiative could see up to 60 per cent of the county council’s street lights switched off between midnight and 5am.

To date, the county council has implemented the programme in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Scarborough.

A decision to implement a similar scheme was made by Hambleton District Council in March with the aim of reducing the authority’s energy costs by £25,000.

Now an information leaflet explaining the proposals will be sent to all Hambleton residents, after which they can give their views as part of a wider consultation process before any changes are made.

County Councillor Gareth Dadd, executive member for Highways and Planning Services, has pledged the consultation process will be central to the delivery of any street lighting energy savings.

“This is an excellent scheme which will benefit the council taxpayer through reductions in electricity costs and carbon tax,” he said.

“It has cross-party support on the county council and all councillors, emergency services and members of the public are being consulted.”

The council has stressed that no lights will be affected in areas where road safety, crime, or anti-social behaviour is an issue.

Those in high-risk accident areas, at roundabouts, major junctions, pedestrian crossings and places with high traffic flows would not be included.

Main areas where lights could be turned off would be residential roads and streets, car parks, roads where accident risk is minimal, industrial estates, footpaths and cycleways.

Nearly 2,000 lights in Northallerton, 680 in Easingwold, 860 in Stokesley, 400 in Thirsk, 360 in Bedale and more than 600 in Great Ayton would be looked at as part of a joint scheme, but the district council also controls many lights in villages and rural areas.

For more information see www.northyorks.gov.uk/streetlighting