Part Night Lighting & Permanent Switching Off Consultation Proposals

Under the above consultation the Council has submitted comments to Derbyshire District Council (DCC).

In response DCC have conceded to leaving some of the lights under the proposal to remain lit from dusk until dawn. 

A summary of the response from DCC  is below: 

We have proposed to change only 14% of the available lighting asset in Somercotes.  This is the lowest proposed percentage change in any of the 172 Parishes looked at so far.

Following consultation with our Community Safety team, we have no reason to believe that any of the areas, where the measures are being introduced have any current issues with crime or Anti Social Behaviour.  We will however continue to monitor all of our schemes and we can change the proposals is evidence suggests that we need to.

The view taken by us in respect of Lamps on footpath links is to turn them off at midnight unless there is demonstrable evidence that there is significant public use of them throughout the night that would justify leaving the lights lit.

You (Somercotes Parish Council) appear to be suggesting that some of these paths do have sufficient use after midnight to justify them not being included in this initiative.

The following lamps will be left as dusk to dawn operation:

Lamps on Somercotes Recreation Ground - 133072 – 133080 belong to Somercotes Parish Council and will be removed from the plans.

One Lamp on Norman Road – 73537 and one Lamp on Barrack Road - 1011

In addition, if Somercotes Parish Council can confirm that the Lamps on the footpath adjacent to the school and the Lamps leading to Pye Bridge Industrial Estate are well used between midnight and 05:30 these will also be left as dusk to dawn operation.

The number of Lamps proposed to be turned off at midnight is very conservative and is well within the criteria.  All areas are fully illuminated up to midnight and we have not put any areas into complete darkness after midnight.  The Council have been clear that anyone using the roads when the lights are switched off needs to make their own assessment of the possible risks, taking action to reduce those risks to a level acceptable to them.