Town unhappy at street light switch-off

Cornwall Council's new roll out of streetlight switch-offs now includes larger towns such as Callington and Porthleven.

The council said its vast network of 56,000 streetlights currently contributed to around 30% of its total carbon emissions.

It said switching off or dimming streetlights between midnight and 05:00 would cut carbon emissions, reduce energy use, offset the increase in energy prices and reduce light pollution to help nature recovery.

But some people in Callington said it was foolish and feared it would lead to more vandalism and encourage crime.

Debbie Wales works in Callington's Spar Shop and said she had been scared walking through the dark lanes to get to work for 05:00.

"I bought my car in this morning which I haven't done for six months," she said.

Customer Tom Burton said: "It's a bigger carbon footprint because she has to drive to work because she doesn't feel safe."

"There's lots of shops that open early and there's lots of people walking about late at night... it's not safe."

Marie Savage lives in a residential estate where there has been vandalism.

"Through the summer when we had lighter evenings, if they wanted to cut back, yeah, but this time of year is very daunting.

"Because there's sometimes, I know I shouldn't say, unsavoury characters. You never know who's coming.

"It is literally scary dark."

Resident Marilyn Morgan said: "Could they not just dim them rather than turn them off altogether?

"We seem to have a growing issue at the moment with people wandering in the nights."

When asked about the night-time switch off, Resident Brian Holmes said "It just gives people the opportunity, I suppose, to do illegal things under the cover of darkness which is not ideal for anybody really. "

Cornwall Councillor and Town Councillor for Callington Andrew Long said: "It's really frustrating because I think they've just done a blanket switching off the street lights in the residential areas without any thought of people's safety.

"We have very, very dark streets. Street lights are covered by trees that haven't been cut.

"So I think they've done a very short term idea of trying to make a big public saving of money, but actually they're making life a little more difficult for the residents who live here."

In a statement Cornwall Council said "Safety is at the forefront in any decision about switching off streetlights.

"Evidence from other local authorities that have already implemented similar night-time switch offs show that levels of crime and number of traffic accidents do not increase.

"However, we continue to carry out risk assessments and share data with local stakeholders so that any concerns or requests - including requests from parish and town councils for areas where they want to see streetlights switched off or turned back on again - are fully considered."

The council added that streetlights remained on between midnight and 05:00 in various locations including by the Ginsters Factory on Tavistock Road in Callington.

It said it also included areas around traffic signal junctions, pedestrian crossings, subways, some roundabouts and junctions.

Lights would also remain on in parts of town centres and footpaths that were still relatively busy during the night.

These included areas where there was CCTV, as well as entrances and exits to hospitals, police, ambulance and fire stations.

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