More Exeter areas lose overnight street lighting

Around 780 streetlights will be switched off overnight in some residential streets in Topsham and the St Loyes area of Exeter from Monday 1 August.

The streetlights have been converted to part-night lighting. Previously they would have been on all-night, but will now be switched off from about 12:30am to 5:30am, before coming on again until dawn. The change is part of Devon County Council’s on-going programme to reduce costs and carbon emissions across the county.

Lighting on the main and busiest roads and walk-home routes will remain lit all night and have not been converted to part-night lighting. In the St Loyes ward this includes Honiton Road, Moor Lane, Sidmouth Road, Rydon Lane, the road from Sandy Gate to Rydon Lane, Quarry Lane, Russell Way, and Topsham Road.

In Topsham streetlights will remain lit overnight in Exeter Road, High Street, Fore Street as far as Globefield, Globefield, Station Road, Holman Way (between Station Road and Globefield), Elm Grove Road (from Station Road to Bridge Hill) and the road past Darts Farm.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “With the roll out of our part-night lighting scheme in St Loyes and Topsham, we’ve now reached around 85% of our ongoing programme. So far more than 55,000 residential streetlights have been converted across Devon. Reducing our energy bills and has reduced the Council’s carbon emissions since the policy was first introduced in 2009.”

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Councillor for St Loyes and Topsham, said: “The feedback from the city-wide consultation events has ensured that we are able to maintain a network of busy ‘walking home routes’ which will remain lit all night, along with main roads. The scheme is working successfully in communities right across the county, and the 1,000 converted lights in St Loyes and Topsham will contribute to the ongoing programme.”

Residents can report any streetlight issues on the council’s website,   or by calling the County Council’s Customer Service Centre on 0345 155 1004 from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 1pm on Saturdays.

Devon County Council is responsible for over 83,000 street lights which in 2015/16 cost the authority around £3.65million in electricity.