Notts districts to have 11,000 streetlights converted to LED bulbs in £2.1m energy plan

Newark Castle
By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
All streetlights in Bassetlaw and Newark and Sherwood will be upgraded to LED bulbs as part of a £2.1 million plan to improve energy efficiency.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s cabinet today (October 13) approved the plan, which will see 11,000 streetlights across both districts upgraded with carbon-efficient lightbulbs.
The move was hailed as the “final piece in the jigsaw” in upgrading to LED bulbs countywide, with every other district or borough already receiving similar works since the project launched in 2014.
LEDs, or light emitting diodes, emit light through an electrical circuit but use less power than traditional light bulbs.
The also do not have a filament which ‘burns out’, meaning they are far less likely to need regular replacement.
The scheme has so far led to 85,000 streetlights being converted across the county, with the authority saying it has saved 90,000 tonnes of carbon and £12.5m in costs.
It comes as part of the Conservative-led council’s plans to become carbon neutral in all its activities by the end of this decade.
Speaking in the cabinet meeting, Councillor Neil Clarke (Con), portfolio holder for transport and environment, said it will save the authority £600,000 per year in energy costs across the two districts.
And he said the project has also saved the authority millions of pounds since it was first launched in 2014.
He said: “This is something that’s proven because it’s the last piece in the county jigsaw.
“Since then we’ve invested £5m in LED lighting and, to date, that’s saved £12.5m in revenue costs. It’s a substantial saving so far and that saving will continue.
“This technology of LED is far superior, it helps to save the environment, it is more reliable and so, all in all, it’s a major win for us.”
He added the £600,000 in annual savings across the two Nottinghamshire districts is based on “today’s prices” for energy, which are expected to continue rising.
This, he says, means payback on the £2.1m investment is expected to take about three years or less.
Cllr Ben Bradley MP (Con), the authority’s leader and Mansfield’s MP, added: “[This is welcome] in the light of energy costs and budget conversations we’re trying to manage at the minute.
“It’s good news that we’re able to finish the job [of the LED streetlight project].”
Cllr Clarke told the meeting upgrades are expected to get under way from now and are expected for completion by April 2023.