A PROGRAMME to replace street lights in Lyme Regis will continue at the end of October following delays.
Following enquiries from local residents asking why the replacement had stopped, Councillor Lorna Jenkin contacted Scottish and Southern Energy, which is replacing street lights across Dorset, and was told work in Lyme will start again later this month. However, she reported that there may be further delays in the connection of new lamp standards to the electricity supply, due to increased costs and a “severely reduced” connection team.
Councillor Jenkin was told that one man could only connect two lamps per day so the county-wide replacement could be a drawn out process. However, old lamps will not be switched off until new lamps are in place.
Councillor Jenkin also reported that Lyme Regis Town Council had a budget to upgrade lighting in Broad Street, Sherborne Lane, Coombe Street and Bridge Street with traditional style lamps, rather than the standard grey poles which residential areas will have.
Dorset County Council announced last year that Lyme Regis will also be affected by the plan to reduce the county’s carbon consumption by only switching on many street lamps from dusk until 12midnight and then back on again from 5.30am until dawn if it is still dark. In the summer the lights still operate on GMT so will then go off at 1am and back on again at 6.30am.
Many larger towns in Dorset have already switched to these timings and they are expected to be introduced to Lyme between 2013 and 2014.
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