Street lighting upgrades already saving the council up to £150,000 a year

The upgrade project, which has already replaced 1,000 lighting columns and is replacing 600 lanterns a month, helped cut emissions from street lighting use by more than 20 per cent last year.

More than just a huge step forward in the council’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, the new lights will also require less maintenance and are designed to emit a white light which, when compared to a traditional street lamp, makes it easier to see objects and people – said the council.

Greater reductions are expected as the work continues.

The project, which is due for completion in 2021, aims to upgrade 18,000 lanterns around Brighton, Hove and Portslade, cutting carbon emissions by up to 61% and saving the council £500,000 a year. There are no plans to replace the city’s historic cast iron columns.

Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee Anne Pissaridou said: “As the days get shorter and shorter, many residents in Portslade and Hove will already be seeing the benefits of the new white lights and it is good to know that, with each lantern replaced, the city’s carbon footprint gets a little bit smaller.”

“This project, alongside investments we are making in our transport infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging points, shows just how hard we’re working to reduce the city’s carbon emissions.”