North Yorkshire County Council is to replace 240 street lights in Harrogate, many of them cast iron columns that have reached the end of their lives.
This is part of a programme to update lighting in the town and will include some heritage-style lighting columns primarily in The Stray area. The County Council replaced some cast iron columns in the town last year and this is a continuation of that work to replace the columns before they become unsafe.
Many of the lights are inefficient and unreliable. Older lanterns that produce an orange glow spill light in all directions, including skyward, and often do not meet minimum highway illumination requirements.
They will be replaced by standard steel columns with LED lanterns that emit a white light and are designed to throw all the light downward, reducing light pollution and spillage of light onto properties. They are also more efficient, reducing energy consumption and the carbon footprint.
The programme to replace 240 columns in Harrogate streets will be completed over several phases with the first phase beginning on 16 November. The second phase will include the installation of 60 street lighting columns for which Harrogate Borough Council has provided heritage-style equipment. These proposed heritage-style lighting columns will be located primarily in The Stray area.
Where possible, the new lights will be in the same position as the old, but to meet British standards it may be necessary at some locations to re-site some columns or to install additional columns.
The existing street lighting will remain operational until the new lighting is commissioned, barring problems with the power supply cable, and all electrical connections can be completed without affecting the power supply to homes.
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Highways, said:
This is part of a continuing programme to update street lighting in the town to provide a safe, more efficient system. We will make every effort to keep disruption to a minimum. There may be instances where we need to ask people to move vehicles so that we can gain access, so we will greatly appreciate residents’ co-operation in this.”
