Part-night street lighting trial

There are 16,000 street lights owned and maintained across the Borough, but to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and save up to £18,000 - per 1,000 street lights - in taxpayers’ money a year, we will be trialling a scheme where 1,000 of these lights are turned off when most people are not out and about.

Throughout the trial the part-night lights will only be switched off from around midnight to around 5.30am - they will work as normal outside these times, which is when most people are walking, driving or cycling around the Borough. 

How were the part-night lights selected?

All the lights chosen for the trial have been carefully selected according to an extensive list of exemption categories, after consultation with parish and town councils. Thames Valley Police has also been consulted on the exemption categories and supports the criteria.

Residents’ safety and wellbeing is important and so lights have only been selected for the trial if they are not covered by one or more of the exemption categories. The exemption categories are as follows:

• Lights at major junctions/ roundabouts.

• In town centres where there is CCTV, high security businesses like banks, and/or lots of people at night, for example near nightclubs and train stations, outside community facilities like the British Legion or leisure centres.

• Areas where street lights are needed to reduce road accidents.

• Areas where there could be an increase in crime through reduced lighting, like pubs and specific residential areas.

• Remote alleys linking residential streets.

• Near traffic islands, pedestrian crossings, footbridges, subways or where the council has a specific duty of care.

• In public car parks.

• At bus stops.

• At level crossings, speed humps, traffic lights.

• Where there is sheltered housing for the elderly.        

The locations have also been subject to an independent safety review. The sites will be regularly monitored by the council and Thames Valley Police throughout the trial.

How do I find out which lights are affected?

Residents living in a street where a light has been selected for the trial should have received a letter from the council - copies of the standard letter can be seen below.

Streets that have lights selected for the trail will also now have luminous planning-type notices installed at the entrance and exit, plus all affected lights will be stickered.

You can also use our part-night lighting database to find out which streets are affected.

To tell us what you think of part-night lighting use our part-night lighting feedback form.