Nearly 1,400 high-tech LED street lights have been installed in King’s Lynn in a trial by Norfolk County Council and Amey aimed at reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.

The distinctive state of the art street lights have been going up on many streets in and around King’s Lynn after Norfolk County Council agreed to fund the £172,000 extra cost, with a view to making cash and carbon savings in the long term. The scheme is expected to save the council over £12,000 in energy and maintenance costs a year, and will reduce annual CO2 emissions by over 40 tonnes.

Amey installing LED street lights in King's Lynn

The work has been carried out by Amey as part of its long term street lighting contract with Norfolk County Council. LED lights are significantly lower in energy consumption compared to traditional lighting. An LED street light can normally produce the same amount of (or higher) brightness as a traditional light, but requires only half of the power consumption. LEDs can also be dimmed, reducing unnecessary use of energy during non-peak times by up to 40 per cent.

Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation, agreed to the investment of just over £172,000 in the LED lighting. “Investing in this new technology has only been possible because of the council’s tight control on spending” he said.

“LED street lights cost more initially, but we expect to save over £12,000 a year in energy, carbon reduction and reduced maintenance costs. Our initial investment will be more than repaid over the lifetime of the lights, which is good news for council tax payers and the environment.

“The trial covers nearly three-quarters of the 2,000 street lights being replaced in and around King’s Lynn. and it is a big enough area to provide data that will inform our decisions about the use of LED elsewhere.”

The street lights that have been selected for replacement are reaching the end of their useable life and once the new LED lights are installed, residents and road users will benefit from clearer light that also reduces overspill into people’s homes. The new lights allow a wider spectrum of colours to be seen and facial features to be distinguished.

Stewart McDonald, Amey’s Account Manager for the Norfolk Street Lighting contract, said: “Amey has been at the forefront of the LED lighting revolution and this contract was the first street lighting PFI in the country to trial LED lighting in street lamps and bollards.

“By installing these new state-of-the-art lights Amey is helping Norfolk County Council to reduce its carbon footprint and benefit the local environment. The new technology will also reduce electricity bills, require less maintenance and reduce light pollution into people’s homes.”