Safety fears have been raised this week after Somerset County Council announced that street lights along the A38 through West Huntspill could soon be dimmed overnight to save costs.
The council hopes to save £123,000 in energy costs and £8,300 in carbon tax payments over three years by switching off and dimming street lights on selected roads across Somerset.
The A38 Main Road through West Huntspill has been deemed unsuitable for part-night lighting but proposed for dimming where lights will be lowered to half their usual brightness.
The county council’s Harvey Siggs said: “There will be consultation everywhere it is proposed to turn off street lamps, and I’m sure people will welcome the choice of how their streets are lit, and the opportunity to contribute to cash savings and darker skies.”
But district councillor Joe Leach, pictured, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The county council should not be compromising safety along this busy stretch of the A38. Dimming the street lights could potentially make the road more dangerous for motorists, pedestrians and residents.”
He added: “I am always pleased to see savings being made, but other areas should be tackled first by the County Council, especially management pay at County Hall.”
For safety, no A or B class roads will have lamps switched off during the darkest hours although eight stretches, including the A38 through West Huntspill, have been selected for dimming.
