Part-time Streetlighting?.. What do you think?..

A number of councils around the country have been reviewing their streetlighting policy.

Some councils have turned off their streetlighting between midnight until 5.30am. It's a move they say will save hundreds of thousands, save energy and cut light polutation.

One such council is Shropshire Council:

Shropshire Council approved proposals to convert 70% of its streetlights to ‘part-night lighting’ back in September 2011, meaning they are lit until midnight and then switch themselves off until 5.30am.

However, not every light will be affected, and more than 6,000 lights will remain in dusk to dawn operation.

It takes 8.7 million kilowatt-hours of power (and 4,750 tonnes of carbon) to run the council’s 18,500 streetlights, illuminated signs and traffic signals every year, which is the same amount of power used by 2,600 homes in a typical year.

Converting 12,500 of these lights to part-night lighting will reduce energy use by 20% – a saving of 1.7 million kilowatt-hours of power and almost 1,000 tonnes of carbon.

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for streetlighting, said:

"We have had detailed discussions with the emergency services and town and parish council representatives about which lights are included in the scheme, and it’s important to remember that every streetlight will still be on until midnight.  A lot of work has gone into the exemption criteria, so things like dangerous road junctions are not included and other factors have being taken into consideration."

It would also appear that local police authorities have no major objections to such a move.

A West Mercia Police spokesperson added:

“A multi-agency group has been involved in these plans from the outset, and local policing teams will of course be monitoring the effects of these changes closely.  However, it should be noted that the evidence from other parts of the country is that crime has actually decreased where lights have been converted to part-night lighting.”

Durham County Council currently manage and maintain 78,000 street lights and 5,500 illuminated traffic signs on the county road network.

There are no suggestions that Durham County Council plan such a move, but is it time they considered it?

What do you think?...

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Consett Police: Beware of fake charity bags!

There is a possible scam involving charity clothes bags in the Consett area. Police were alerted after Treating Children with Cancer, a registered charity based in Huddersfield, were contacted by a Consett resident who was suspicious about a white transit van in the area collecting bags.

 

The charity does not trade or collect in this area, and the bags being delivered were old ones which the charity no longer uses. It is likely that unauthorised people are collecting the bags and taking them to a clothing bank where they will be weighed in for cash.

If you see any similar activity, contact police on 101.

Tax credit claimants warned of scam emails

Source: lesbonner.mycouncillor.org.uk

A warning has been issued by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) about fake or “phishing” emails sent out by fraudsters.

Customers have to renew their claims by 31 July – or their payments may be stopped.
In the run-up to the tax credits renewal deadline often sees an increase in such attacks, and in May 2011 a record 26,301 phishing attempts were reported to HMRC.

The scam email usually starts with the sentence such as “we have reviewed your tax return and our calculations of your last years accounts show a tax refund is due”

The phishing emails often promise a rebate and, if taxpayers click on the link, they are taken to a cloned replica of the HMRC website. The recipient is asked to provide credit or debit card details or other sensitive information such as passwords. Fraudsters then try to take money from the account.

Victims risk having money stolen from their bank accounts, or their personal details being sold on to criminal gangs for identify fraud.

Plans for revitalised markets in County Durham

Plans to revitalise street markets in County Durham are to be put before councillors next week.

Members of Durham County Council’s Cabinet will discuss the findings of a recent review of markets and options for their future management when they meet on Wednesday (May 30).

At the heart of the proposals is the aim to develop markets as key elements of successful town centre economies, offering customers good quality and value produce and speciality items.

There are currently 10 markets in County Durham, in Durham City, Chester-le-Street, Crook, Consett, Stanley, Seaham, Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland, Barnard Castle and Stanhope.

A recent review highlighted a number of factors which are having an impact on traditional street markets, including the increasing dominance of supermarket and out of town developments as well as competition from online retailers, changing demographics, current economic conditions and a lack of investment in markets.

The review suggested that these factors may be contributing to the steady decline in activity over the past decade with the majority of markets in County Durham now operating under capacity, and that further intervention is needed to support and promote market activity within town centres and maximise opportunities for economic growth.

In most cases the markets are directly managed by the county council but in Consett, Stanley, Seaham and Durham City the markets are run by independent market operators.

Cabinet members will be asked to consider options for the future management arrangements of markets in the county, which could see the operational management of all markets transfer to independent operators.

Cabinet will be asked to consider and agree a proposed draft strategy for the revitalisation of markets.

A final strategy will be developed following a further consultation with members of the public and market traders.

Cabinet members will discuss the proposals when they meet next Wednesday (May 30) at County Hall.

Source: durham.gov.uk

Call for broadband support

Residents, businesses and community groups are being urged to show their support for the roll-out of high-speed broadband across County Durham.

Durham County Council has already been promised almost £7m by the Government to take broadband to everyone in the county and superfast provision to as many homes and businesses as possible.

However, as part of the conditions of securing the money for its Digital Durham programme, the council must prove that there is a demand for the service.

The authority is, therefore, asking people to take part in a short survey and needs as many people as possible to take part.

Don McLure, Durham county Council’s corporate director for resources, said: “Around 60 per cent of County Durham will not have access to superfast broadband if the council does not step in.

“Private companies are not inclined to invest in these areas because of the length of time it would take them to make a financial return."

“The Government grant, along with match funding we have managed to set aside, will enable us to target those areas."

“The responses we receive to the survey will help us understand the demand for superfast broadband and assist us in formulating our plans for the future.”

The survey can be accessed online by searching for Digital Durham on the council’s website, http://www.durham.gov.uk/

Anyone who does not have access to the internet can contact the Digital Durham team on 03000 26 11 60 or by emailing digital.durham@durham.gov.uk

The deadline for responses is Saturday, 30 June.

Police: Cash Machines - Report Suspicious Activity

PCSO Ruddick has spoken to three males this afternoon in the Town Centre after reports they were acting suspiciously around cash machines in the area. Their details have been taken and they were not found to have any devices on their person nor did any of the machines appear to have been tampered with.

Please report any suspicious activity in around cash machines to your local branch and also to local police by calling 101.