The latest news from barmy Britain.
Thousands of street lamps in suburban areas in England are being switched off after midnight. The blackouts are being imposed by councils to cut energy bills and meet climate change targets.
Buckinghamshire is carrying out one of the most radical trials of the new approach. More than 1,700 lights, which illuminate 25 miles of roads, will soon be switched off completely. The council claims the scheme will save £100,000 and nearly 600 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. I would hazard a guess that the cost saving is more important than the environmental impact.
Town hall chiefs claim that the policy could halve street lighting bills, as a typical sodium street lamp costs between £20 and £40 a year to run. Many councils have at least 100,000 lights. However, the cost of converting street lights to operate on the new system might outweigh the advantages. Cheshire council abandoned plans for blackouts after discovering it costs at least £100 to add a timer to each lamp.
Other areas taking part in blackout trials include Maldon and Uttlesford in Essex. Trials are also taking place in Gloucestershire, while Hertfordshire is introducing six-month blackouts later in the year. Cornwall and Devon are considering similar schemes.
Some local authorities are going even further - and scrapping street lights in the evenings as well as the early hours of the morning. Last year, Buckinghamshire council turned off all lights on the A4128 - a busy rural road running from High Wycombe to Hughenden Valley.
It shouldn't be a problem though because Jacqui Smith has already told everyone that it's not safe to be out at night.
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