New, energy efficient street lights will be installed in Wokingham following a successful £8.12 million bid for government funding.

The grant will help Wokingham Borough Council replace 7,500 aging street lights with LED lanterns, and install a further 6,300 LEDs on existing lights.

The lights will potentially cut the borough’s street lighting energy consumption and carbon footprint by up to 70 per cent, as well as save the council almost £14 million during the next two decades.

Last year, it cost the council more than £600,000 to manage its 16,000 street lights.

With rising energy costs, Wokingham council joined forces with Slough and Reading councils earlier this year to put forward a joint application to the Department of Transport’s Challenge Fund, and successfully secured £18.9 million to share between them.

The cash will cover around 70 per cent of the estimated cost of the work needed in the three boroughs, but by working together, costs can be reduced through bulk buying and sharing overheads.

David White, service manager for highway assets at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “Within the limited funding available from our tightening budgets, we started the improvement programme and last year replaced some 700 street lights across the borough with LED ones.

“This funding means we can embark on a large scale replacement project, and therefore reap the benefits much sooner.”

Thanh Xuan