18,000 residential streetlights are being dimmed after 10pm

Ealing Liberal Democrats say residents have been kept in the dark about changes to street lighting throughout the borough.

Councillor Gary Busuttil said, "The Council has admitted that 18,000 streetlights on residential streets across the borough are being dimmed to 75% after 10 pm and half power after midnight. The administration have done this in secret.''

He's asked what people think and says those who have responded are largely in favour, residents can email him here.

Most of Ealing's old streetlights were replaced with LED ones in a maintenance programme that finished in October 2016. Ornate lighting in conservation areas has not been changed as the technology is not yet sufficiently developed.

Ealing Cabinet member for Environment, Transport & Leisure Councillor Bassam Mahfouz said dimming streetlights was a 'no-brainer', ''With 64% of our funding taken away, over £200m of savings to be made, hospitals being closed, police stations disappearing, schools considering losing teachers, it’s a bit of a no-brainer that slightly dimming the lights to save money is a good call.  

''Whilst many councils have switched off their lighting altogether after certain times at night, we took the approach of first of all replacing the lights with more energy efficient, cost effective LED lighting and dimming that lighting as appropriate throughout the night – to ensure that the lighting is still adequate but significant savings can be made.

''Despite making the change to lighting a few months ago, almost no one has noticed.  It seems that despite the fantastic lighting we have in the borough, the Lib Dems and Tories are still in the dark over how their savage cuts to public services are impacting real people. " 

23 November 2016