Change streetlights to improve health, council told

Changes to streetlights could save money and make life healthier, councillors have been told.

Resident Dr Gavin Ryder submitted a paper to Dorset Council arguing that the county's streetlighting policy could be improved for people, plants and animals.

He said choosing the right kind and level of light would minimise disruption to people's sleep patterns, as well as lead to financial savings.

Head of highways, Jack Wiltshire, told a Place and Resources Overview committee meeting that changes were already being made to many streetlights in Dorset.

He said a programme was running to replace many of the amber-tinged sodium lights to "cold" LED bulbs, resulting in a 60% energy saving.

Mr Wiltshire also said the council was aware of the impact of lighting on nature, with research showing that bats could be disrupted by certain types of lighting.

Some plants could also be confused into shedding leaves earlier than usual, while warmer colour temperature lights were considered better for nature, he added.

Councillors heard that Dorset's streetlights are provided under a 25-year private finance initiative through a company called Enerveo, which is due to expire in 2032, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A six-week public consultation is to be held to seek the views of residents on a new county-wide streetlight policy, with a final paper expected to come before an autumn cabinet meeting.

Councillor Belinda Bawden told the committee that she received quite a lot of complaints about the new, brighter lights where they had been fitted already.

The council previously heard from Swanage residents living near the Durlston Country Park complaining about the brightness of lights that had been replaced in that area.

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