Saffron Walden takes on Rodney Bass over Street Lights!

10.42.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd May 2007

The historic Council Chamber in Saffron Walden's Town Hall was the venue for a confrontation between the Town Councillors and Essex County Councillor Rodney Bass, who wants to switch off the street lights in the town from 12 midnight to 5am. The meeting of the Council took place last Wednesday.

Councillor Bass was adamant that the scheme would be a success and described the 30% savings he hopes to make as non-negotiable.' He claimed that the proposals were environmentally friendly but accepted that Conservative-controlled Essex County Council needed the money for other services. He was accompanied by Councillor Robert Chambers, Chair of the Police Authority, who described the proposals as 'a fair scheme that goes a long way towards a reasonable settlement.'

The Liberal Democrat-run Town Council is worried that the scheme will be a curfew - the townspeople, whether young women or the elderly, will be unlikely to risk walking home in the dark - and that turning the lights out will result in an increase in the fear of crime, particularly as the town has suffered a number of arson attacks recently. They also queried the savings - street lights use very little energy, and the savings will very soon be eclipsed by increased use of taxis and the introduction of more outdoor lighting on private homes.

Cllr Richard Freeman said 'It's ironic that, just as the Town Council is planning to install extra CCTV cameras, the Conservatives are proposing to switch off the lights that allow the Police to monitor them properly.'

The Council passed a resolution refusing to endorse Bass's proposals. Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Hibbs called on Rodney Bass to postpone the proposed switch off, pending a re-evaluation of the supposed benefits.

'Saffron Walden Town Council has been promoting sustainability and is keen to see Essex County Council behave in a more environmentally friendly way - they could switch off the traffic signs during the day, for example. But the very limited gains made by switching off the lights at night will not compensate for the greater risk to the safety of the people of Saffron Walden.'