Proposals will drag the Dales into ‘Dark Ages’

Derbyshire County Council (DCC) is to launch an eight–week consultation on the cost-cutting proposals which would only see failed lights in high-priority areas being replaced.

The plans, which will help save £775,000, look set to affect residential streets and industrial estates – but not areas such as hospitals, town centres and accident blackspots.

Councillor Dean Collins, DCC’s deputy cabinet member for jobs, economy and transport, said: “We’re facing budget pressures like never before and have had to cut the amount of money we have available to spend on street lighting. We’ve decided not to routinely replace light bulbs as we have been doing, but this will lead to more street lights going out when they get to the end of their working life.

“We won’t be able to replace every light bulb when it expires so need to know where people think we should spend the limited amount of money we do have.”

Cllr Barry Lewis, leader of the Conservatives at DCC, said: “Labour wishes to plunge the county into a new Dark Ages.”

Visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk to take part in the consultation.