Higher Woolbrook Park to get new street lights

Higher Woolbrook Park in Sidmouth is set to get brand new streetlights this year, following a routine maintenance inspection by Devon County Council contractors SSE.

In addition, in a separate scheme, Government funding will mean that  24,000 more lanterns across Devon will be converted to energy efficient alternatives by March 2018.

This follows a successful bid by Devon County Council to secure over £10m from the Department for Transport Challenge Fund.

Included in this will be the replacement of  5,000 streetlamp columns on mainly A and B roads in Devon, including on the A375 and on the A3052.

The work in Higher Woolbrook Park will see 20 old-style 70w street lanterns replaced with 16w LED lights, which will last four times longer.

In addition 16 of the area’s deteriorating street lamp columns, which are dotted along Higher Woolbrook Park’s pavement and date back to the mid 1960s, will also be replaced.

It is estimated that the switch from traditional bulbs to energy efficient LEDs in Higher Woolbrook Park alone will save the authority hundreds of pounds a year in electricity bills.

The total savings in electricity costs with the Challenge Fund project could amount to approximtaely £390,000 annually.

The new columns, which will also be made of aluminium and are currently used on many residential streets and on all new developments, are expected to last 70 years.

The work in Higher Woolbrook Park is scheduled to begin in March 2016,  and will take approximately a week to complete.

Once completed, the lights will continue to come on at dusk and turn off at 12.30am before turning on again at 5.30am and going off again at dawn.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management and local member for Sidmouth Sidford, said: “During the duration of the works in Higher Woolbrook Park there will be a minimum amount of disruption to residents and motorists.

“As it is a residential area, temporary traffic signals will not be needed.

“Work vehicles will have to be parked in the road, but access will still be available for vehicles and pedestrians at all times."

In regards to the challenge fund project, he added: "Communities across Devon will have new streetlights over the next two to three years.

“The lights need replacing and many of the lamp posts are over 40 years old.

“The change will mean we can continue to light Devon’s streets and roads for years to come and significantly reduce our carbon footprint."