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Devon County Council is running a programme to change its street lighting policy. This programme forms part of Devon County Council’s (DCC) carbon reduction and management strategy.

There will be two new phased options for street lighting across the county:

• Phased part-night lighting in residential areas. Meaning that the hours some streetlights are on will be changed from all-night long to lighting between dusk and about 12:30am and again from about 5:30am until dawn. When the clocks go forward an hour in the spring, the light controls being used do not have the capability to adjust for the hour change and the times will move to about 01.30 am and about 06.30am. Between April and October, due to the lighter mornings, the lights will not normally switch back on. After the clocks go back an hour in October, the timings will go back to about 12.30am and about 05.30am and will switch back on during the darker mornings.
• Areas of high night-time activity, such as town centres, will remain lit all night, but consideration will be given to dimming lighting where possible.
• Main road lighting, will be subject to risk assesments which will determine whether they remain lit all night, are converted to part-night lighting or are dimmed.

Read more in the Information leaflet (391KB - pdf help)

Download the Street Lighting Policy (294KB - pdf help)

Latest News

Part-night street lighting in Exeter

Devon County Council is currently in discussion with Exeter City Council about the implementation of part-night lighting across the city.  This means that street lights which were previously on from dusk until dawn, would be turned off between the hours of 12.30am and 5.30am.

To see which streets would be included in the scheme, please look at the map.

Background to part-night street lighting scheme

Lights have already been converted or in the process of being converted in over 150 communities across Devon:

• View a list of all the communities already converted here (59KB - pdf help)
• View the conversion progress on a chart (12KB - pdf help)

The ongoing introduction of part-night lighting in communities throughout Devon was overwhelmingly supported by the majority of people who attended the County Council's Tough Choices roadshows last year. The scheme is helping the County Council to reduce its energy bills so that we are using taxpayers' money more efficiently. Carbon emissions and energy costs are expected to reduce by a third by the end of the five year programme, which will be an important saving and is also good news for our local environment.

The County Council is working with Devon and Cornwall Police to ensure that considerations of crime, disorder and road safety in residential areas are taken into account during the decision making process. Converting a street light to part-night lighting costs between £20 and £30, but the energy savings will cover this cost within about 3 years.

Devon County Council is responsible for over 72,000 street lights, costing an estimated £3.4million in electricity in 2011 and producing nearly 20,000 tonnes of CO2 every year. That accounts for around 30% of the County Council’s annual emissions of almost 62,000 tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of the total annual energy use of 7,300 average Devon homes or a town about the size of Honiton in East Devon.

Your views

If you have any comments about the introduction of part-night street lighting, either in favour or against, please contact your local County Councillor.

Street Lighting Frequently Asked Questions

Residents Quotes:

• "I think it is a great idea, it must save a fortune in energy and therefore carbon emissions. I used to live in North Devon, so this is a plus for Devon County Council. Well done for grasping the nettle."
• "I am happy to see that steps are being taken save on costs and energy but I am concerned about the darkness and the impact it may have on pedestrian safety and possible increase in criminal activity i.e. house/ car security, rather that turning all the lamps off why not just reduce the number of lit lamps after the set time so it is not complete darkness".
• "I was delighted to learn of the new street lighting policy in which some will be turned off between 0030 and 0530. This happens in other parts of the country and is widely considered to be successful so congratulations on adopting this policy for us here in Devon."
• "Can the light outside my property can be turned off during the night. It has became a meeting place for local young people who hang around outside her house from about 11pm till 1.30 am to 2.30am most weekends. They make quite a bit of noise which keeps me awake. I think that if the light was turned off they would disperse".
• "I was delighted to hear that you plan to reduce overnight street lighting."
• "I agree with saving energy by turning off the lights but would like to see a odd light left on where there are shops. I have a shop and since the lights have been turned off 1.30 - 2.00 am there has been a few shop related incidents."
• "Personally, I think this would be an excellent idea, especially in small villages (I live in Bow) and would surely save the council thousands of pounds in electricity costs. I have often thought it wasteful to leave the lights on all night, and can remember the lights being turned off a few years ago."
• "Is there a possibility of keeping one light on all night, as with no street lighting I can't see when I come home from work at 3 or 4 in the morning. Turning on just the one closest to my home, or even the one at the end of the cul-de-sac would enable me to locate the front door, once I get out of the car. I do understand the reasons for the 'switch-off"".
• "I live in the Pensylvannia area of the City and would be more than happy for the street lights to be turned off over night!"
• "Can the streetlights continue to be left on until a later time. There are elderly residents in four or five of the households who feel a similar way about this".
• "I have just read that you are to stop street lighting in Newton St Cyres from 12:30am to 5:30 am, a couple of years back we were without street lighting at all for several weeks - it was lovely! So many stars! I would happily do without for ever, have you ever asked locals if they could do without them altogether?"

If you have any enquiries contact environment@devon.gov.uk