Stirling Council has announced communities across the region are being fitted with energy-saving LED lighting units.

The council is aiming to save on energy costs and provide cleaner and more efficient street-lighting.

The Environment Service team is in its second year of a five year programme to convert older lamp posts to LED ones.

So far, the team has completed approximately 3,200 conversions, making on average a 70% energy saving.

The team has also replaced around 400 columns over the last year, which were at the end of their expected life, with low energy alternatives.

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Works started off by replacing the highest energy lamps and are now working towards the city centre and main roads.

Fallin is now 100% LED and Cowie will be 100% by the end of this financial year.

Other outlying villages like Balmaha, Milton of Buchanan and Buchanan Smithy are also now 100% LED.

The total capital investment for street lighting upgrades and energy saving is £1.9m for 2014/2015 and £1.74m for 2015/16.

Gordon Crosbie, Street Lighting Team Leader for the council's Environment Services, said: "The new LED lamp posts come on around ten minutes later than the previous ones, which may not sound like much but ten minutes over 15,000 lights by the end of the year is a lot of money. It's estimated that the LED and their driver components will last a minimum of ten years.

"Along with bringing down the energy bill with their lower wattage the programme also contributes to the Council's carbon reduction target."

(LM)