Members of Highways and Community Infrastructure agreed on Tuesday, to extend lights staying on until 2am instead of the planned midnight switch-off after hearing the results and proposals of a public survey. The Council is looking to follow the lead of more than 60 councils across the country, which have already turned off or dimmed street lights, which would have saved around £260,000 from an annual cost of over £1.4m a year.

Members debated an amendment to keep lights on but this was defeated before they voted unanimously to extend the time the lights are kept on.

Councillors also heard around nine councils, including Cambridge City Council, have come forward to offer to fund the lights staying on after the proposed switch off time.

This means the committee are recommending to Full Council:

To increase the current period of streetlight dimming (8pm or 10pm until 6am) to all times and turning off lighting not on main traffic routes between 2am and 6am where it is controlled by the Council’s Central Management System;

The Council is not proposing to turn off lighting on main traffic routes, where CCTV cameras are present, where there are any statutory requirements or where they support the night time economy.

The Committee heard that the changed time means the Council would have to find an extra £98,000 from efficiencies.

A recent report shows that where this approach of dimming or turning off streetlights has been taken elsewhere, there is no evidence to suggest a link with increases in crime or detrimental impact on safety.