Transport and streets
Walsall lights the way
Published on
An update on Walsall Council’s progress in upgrading street lighting to energy-efficient LED lighting.
A £10m conversion of approximately 23,000 street lights to low energy LED lighting with a central monitoring system (CMS) starts in Walsall on Monday 25 April.
Work will be carried out by infrastructure services provider Amey, who will deliver a modern, energy efficient street lighting solution that provides the ability to finely control light output in accordance with the local need whilst still maintaining appropriate lighting standards. The conversion will also significantly reduce energy consumption and contributing to the council’s aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
The annual cost of electricity for street lighting was around £2m in 2021, with carbon emission of almost 8,000 tonnes. Energy consumption and carbon emissions will be reduced by around 70% by this project.
“ Conversion of street lights to LED and CMS control forms an integral strand of the council’s climate emergency action plan.
The fault reporting facilities within the CMS will further reduce the need for on-site routine maintenance checks and ongoing maintenance costs.
By investing to save now, we are protecting the public purse for the future. “
LED lighting will also provide for better colour rendering and shape definition making it much easier to identify people and objects on the public highway.
“ We are delighted to be working with Walsall Council to replace around 23,000 existing street lights from conventional luminaire with the latest LED technology over the next two years. The works will increase energy saving, improve service delivery and will enable lighting to respond to citizen needs.
We know from experience that these works will save in excess of 60% energy usage for the Council, reducing costs as well as saving thousands of tons of carbon emission involved in generating electricity.
Implementation of this project will reduce light pollution into residential and commercial premises. “
The LED and CMS conversion programme will have a positive impact on the health of Walsall residents as a direct result of the reduction of carbon emissions associated with the electricity generation used by the street lighting infrastructure.
~ENDS~
Note to Editor
Procurement of the LED and CMS conversion programme will be managed through the deed of variation procedure to the existing public lighting PFI contract.
The street lighting service is delivered through a 26-year PFI contract between Walsall Council and WPL Ltd that began in March 2002.
The LED and CMS project will be delivered over a 30 month period.
The work will be undertaken by Walsall Public Lighting Ltd, Walsall Council’s street lighting PFI partner.
