Bath and North East Somerset Council has announced that it will be consulting local resident associations and heritage groups in order to ascertain the best way to roll out its new LED lighting development of the World Heritage-listed City of Bath Conservation Area.
It had already been announced that the council would be following in the footsteps of many other local authorities by using LED street lighting to cut down on electricity costs as governmental budgets for public spending get slashed.
However, concerns were raised about the best ways in which to do this in terms of light intensity and the style of lanterns used, given that the area is a Unesco World Heritage site.
Councillor Roger Symonds, cabinet member for transport, reflected on the process of getting feedback from communities regarding the style and level of lighting to be used in the project, commenting that he wants to make sure that the new installations will be consistent with residents' expectations.
He added: "The pause in the conservation area will allow the council to consider a rollout of softer light and lanterns which are more appropriate to the World Heritage site."
The council is able to do this as LEDs are very adaptable and can operate on much softer light intensities, which will not detract from the natural and historic beauty of the area.
As a result of the project, the council will save around £200,000 per year and cut its annual carbon emission by almost 800,000 tonnes - about three per cent of its current carbon footprint.
Mr Symonds went on to say that the project is making excellent progress and that local taxpayers could consequently expect their energy costs to go down.
Households can also slash their energy costs with similar outdoor wall lights for their own home, with varying levels of light intensity depending on their usage.
