Date issued: 21 December 2018
A number of street lights in Colchester’s Dutch Quarter are to remain on overnight for the next six weeks to help further support community safety work and policing initiatives in the area.
Essex County Council has agreed to a request by Colchester Borough Council, supported by Essex Police in the borough, for nearly 40 street lights in six roads to remain on throughout the night from today (21 December) until Thursday 31 January 2019.
The agreement means that a number of lights in Nunns Road, West Stockwell Street, Maidenburgh Street, Northgate Street, Quakers Alley, and Williams Walk will stay on overnight. These would normally be turned off between 1am and 5am Tuesday to Sunday or midnight until 5am on Monday mornings, as part of the county’s Part Night Lighting scheme.
Cllr Mike Lilley, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Public Safety & Licencing, said: “Residents and businesses in the area have raised concerns about the impact they felt having the streetlights being turned off in these areas was having.
“I am delighted that working together with the police and the county council we have addressed those concerns and have come up with a solution which means these roads will be lit during the dark winter evenings.”
Chief Inspector Shaun Kane, District Commander for Colchester, said: “In terms of community safety considerations, public confidence and reassurance, suspending the lights switching off overnight in certain parts of the Town Centre has my full support.
“Research suggests that there is no correlation between crime and whether street lights are on or off. However, I am supportive of the council’s move to keep the lights on for the festive period as part of a number of measures to keep people in the town centre safe.”
Cllr Kevin Bentley, Cabinet member for infrastructure at Essex County Council, said: “At a time of year when there are more people out and about very late at night, we are happy to respond to requests to keep the lights on for longer, benefitting both residents and the local night-time economy.”
Page last reviewed: 21 December 2018