STREET lights look set to be switched off overnight in parishes across the Five Valleys as part of a bright idea to help protect the planet.

The sparky initiative is part of a Gloucestershire County Council drive to cut energy consumption and carbon emissions.

In the Stroud district, 18 parishes have expressed a firm interest in working with the county council to identify lights which could be turned off between midnight and 5.30am.

Barry Greenaway, the county's street lighting manager, said: "As well as reducing energy consumption and costs, changing some street lights to part-night operation will contribute significantly to the council's aim to reduce carbon emissions as one response to climate change."

For each individual street light conversion it is estimated that there would be a reduction of 40 per cent in both carbon emissions and energy cost.

And while the percentage of lights turned off in areas could vary between 20 per cent and 60 per cent, proposals could include switching off every other bulb in some neighbourhoods.

Lights along main roads would not be eligible for conversion.

And further exemptions would also apply, such as near emergency service depots, hospitals, sheltered houses, accident blackspots, pedestrian crossings or in areas where crime is high.

A monitoring system would be set up to compare crime figures for each area before and after the new measures.

"Personal security and road traffic issues are a real concern and we are taking those on board," added Mr Greenaway.

This year, around £1.8 million will be spent on street lighting in Gloucestershire.

And in a recent report put together with the Carbon Trust, the county council found that street lighting is responsible for around 25 per cent of its carbon emissions.

Participating parishes are currently consulting with their communities and the county council.

It is hoped implementation will begin at the end of October, with schemes in all interested parishes to be put in place by the end of March.

The programme is being rolled out after successful pilots in three communities.

Uley is halfway through its six-month trial period.

"It's something whereby a village can be seen to do something positive," said Uley parish councillor Anne Sutcliffe.

"We hope it goes well and we will see what people say after six months."

And Stroud's Green mayor John Marjoram also backed the idea.

"I think it's a brilliant idea," he said.

"Obviously some need to be left on but I believe so much energy is wasted that anything which actually cuts down carbon emissions should be looked at very seriously."

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