MORE than 1,000 street lights will be switched off overnight in Newport in a bid to save money and cut carbon emissions.

A total of 1,016 of the authority's 18,000 lights and 3,000 illuminated signs and bollards will go off from midnight until 5.30am along 37 streets, main roads and industrial areas.

But the decision, made by Cllr David Fouweather, cabinet member for engineering and transport, comes as a u-turn to earlier assurances by his predecessor, Cllr David Atwell, who ruled out any consideration of a switch-off in January 2009.

The move will save £122,500 over the next three years and cut the city’s carbon emissions by 229 tons annually.

But Labour councillor Mark Whitcutt said it could increase the number of road traffic accidents.

He referred to research in the scientific journal, the Cochrane Library, which found streetlights reduced the number of fatal crashes by 77 percent and other collisions by between 32 and 55 percent.

He said: “There could be compensation claims arising out of this, which could be considerable, but it is the risk of injury and potential loss of life which really worries me.”

Alway councillor Ray Truman said he was totally against the decision and was worried it could lead to an increase in crime and disorder.

The council says energy prices have soared by 30 percent in the past the past three years and the authority currently spends £968,000 a year on street lighting.

It is unclear when the switch-off will begin as electronic timing devices need to be installed, at a cost of £60,000 and a further £10,000 will be spent on new road markings and signs.

Cllr Fouweather, said: “I realise some residents may have understandable concerns about this move but Gwent Police have said there is no evidence of crime rising in other areas where lights have been switched off.

“I would like to reassure everyone that we will be monitoring the effect of the scheme on a regular basis.”

Where the lights will go off:

A48 Cardiff Road LG oundabout to St Mellons (40 lights)

Tredegar Park to LG roundabout (40)

Pencarn Way to Lighthouse Road (60)

A48 SDR to Morgan Way (37)

A48 Tredegar Park to ONS (20)

Tredegar Park to Forge Lane roundabout (38)

A467 Rogerstone bypass (90)

A4042 Heidenheim Drive (50)

Usk Road (30)

Christchurch Road (28)

A48 Langstone Park roundabout to boundary (160)

B4245 Magor Road (10)

A4042 Usk Way to SDR (23)

Port Road (10)

SDR/Corporation Road to second railway bridge (47)

Leeway Industrial Estate (28)

Seven Stiles (12)

Rivermead Way (15)

Queensway Meadows (26)

Longditch Road (9)

Clearwater Road (18)

Plover Close (10)

Curlew Close (8)

Meadows Road (44)

Estuary Road (18)

Freshwater Road (8)

Broadwater Road (10)

Nash Mead (20)

Leeway Court (5)

Lake Road (7)

Oxwich Road (10)

Langland Way (15)

Stephenson Street (12)

Mariner Way (17)

Broadquay Road (19)

New Quay Road (6)

East Bank Road (16)

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Lights plan is sound

SO NEWPORT City Council is now joining other local authorities across Wales in switching off street lights as a way of saving money.

While many may baulk at the decision, and there has been criticism in other areas where similar moves have been taken, our view is that this is a perfectly sensible and fairly painless way of saving money.

The amount of projected savings for Newport are not huge - £122,500 over three years - but then the number of lights to be switched off only represents a handful of the total in the city.

Out of the city's 18,000 streetlights, 1,016 of them will be switched off after midnight.

These lights are not in residential areas and it seems logical to us to switch off lights where they are not really needed.

Police say they have no evidence that switching off streetlights in this way leads to an increase in crime and we can't see how it would increase the number of road accidents, given that cars have headlights.