Deal means borrowing for brighter future

Hull Council has secured the funding through “prudential borrowing”, which allows councils greater control of how much debt they can run up, and plans to pay it back within six years.

The new LED lamps, which are expected to last 20 years compared to the six-year life span of traditional streetlights, will make the streets safer and brighter and cut the council’s carbon footprint, it said.

It is also hoped they will help combat crime by providing clearer images on the city’s network of CCTV cameras in the city centre and main arterial routes.

Coun Martin Mancey, portfolio holder for Energy City, said: “This funding is good news and will achieve significant electricity savings at a time when energy prices are increasing.

“The council currently spends £1m per year on electricity for street lighting.

“The LED lamps are far more reliable and will last for up to 20 years compared to six years of the traditional lamp, meaning the number of faulty streetlights will reduce and ensure the continued safety of residents and visitors within the city centre.

“This is a visible way to show our ambition to be an energy city reducing carbon emission and this is the first part of a programme of what we hope to extend citywide in the future.”

The lights will cut about £96,000 a year from the council’s energy bill, and cut CO2 emissions by about 500 tonnes a year.

The installation will start in February and take a year to complete.

Earlier this month, North East Lincolnshire Council announced plans to spend £8.2m replacing 16,500 orange sodium lights street lights with state-of-the-art LED lights.

The North East Lincolnshire authority has allocated £4.3m for the 18-month project in the current financial year, with a further £3.9m to be spent in 2014-15.