The dimming of street lights is to be trialled in Angus to cut the council's carbon footprint and its electricity bills.

The council's Infrastructure Services Committee agreed that new street lighting columns installed by the council or developers in appropriate areas will be required to have dimming devices fitted as standard.

Committee convener David May said the dimming of lights in residential and industrial areas through the night had the potential to cut the council's street lighting electricity bill by 25%.

"The council has decided to trial the dimming of street lights in a number of sites across Angus between midnight and 6am."

The street lights in the trial sites are to be dimmed by 50% and Councillor May stressed that the reduced lighting level would still meet British Standard requirements.

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"Lights will only be dimmed where there usually little or no pedestrian or vehicle movement between midnight and 6am, sites such as industrial estates and housing developments, and even then the lighting level will still meet the regulatory standards required.

"Lighting levels on main and distributor roads and in town centres will remain as they are."

In addition to approving the street light dimming trial the council agreed to the continued installation of reduced wattage white light in all new and replacement schemes as appropriate. The council also pledged to keep LED street lighting under review and pursue any cost effective means of its introduction.

"LED street lighting has the potential to significantly reduce our energy cost but unfortunately the current installation costs put it beyond reach at the moment," said the convener.

The option of turning off street lights in whole areas at certain times was not supported. The turning off of alternative street lamps was also rejected as it would not provide the uniform level of lighting required.

The dimming of the street lights will be trialled for one year.

(GK/JM)