LibDem puts spotlight on Lindley (Colne Valley Liberal Democrats)

Colne Valley Liberal Democrats <info@colnevalleylibdems.org.uk>

LibDem puts spotlight on Lindley

October 14, 2009 5:13 PM

Cllr Stanfield Christine Stanfield, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Lindley ward, has gained approval for the UK's first-ever motion-sensitive energy-saving street lamps to be installed along three footpaths in Lindley.

Clr Stanfield came up with the bright idea herself. She looked at the indoor systems which switch lights on and off automatically when someone enters or leaves a room and realised that this simple idea could also be used for street lighting. The lights will remain off until someone comes along wanting to use the path; as they approach, the movement sensor will switch on the first light. When they move into the next section of the path and have triggered the next light, the previous light will be switched off behind them. A light will never go out until the next one has been triggered.

The new lights, which will be installed just before Christmas, will cost a total of £36,000. Although the capital cost is higher than that of existing systems, the running costs will be lower, not only because the lights switch off when they are not needed but also because the low energy bulbs last five times longer than conventional bulbs, with a 50% saving in carbon emissions. Needless light pollution is avoided - and there are safety benefits too: the system includes white LED lighting, which Clr Stanfield says is brighter than the normal yellow light and will enable people to tell whether there is somebody already on the footpath. This is important for the many young people who use the footpaths in question.

Clr Stanfield has high hopes that local authorities throughout the UK will pick up on the idea, helping them to save money and meet their carbon reduction goals.