Street lights to be switched off in 93 Derbyshire villages

Residents in Buckshaw Village are concerned about street lights being out in the area

A meeting of Derbyshire County Council on Tuesday approved the second phase of its ‘part night’ lighting scheme.

Last year 59 towns and parishes were introduced to the project, where street lights are turned off between midnight and 5.30am, despite fears about it causing more crime and anti-social behaviour.

The parishes in the second phase are across NE Derbyshire, the Derbyshire Dales, Amber Valley and the High Peak. Changes will come into force by April 2014.

The report to the council’s highways and transport committee said an assessment over seven locations which already had part night lighting had seen ‘very little change’ in crime or trouble.

It added: “In some areas, crime and anti-social behaviour calls have fallen and, in others that have experience an increase, the actual change has generally been very small and unlikely to be linked to the Part Night Lighting schemes.

“There does not appear to be any concrete evidence to suggest that the lighting schemes should not continue.”