Halfway mark reached as over 20,000 Suffolk streetlights replaced

Suffolk County Council’s programme to replace 43,400 streetlights with new energy-efficient LEDs has reached the halfway mark.
Published: 16 Feb 2022

Contractor, Bouygues Energies & Services begins work in Ipswich.

To date, the teams have replaced 21,215 new streetlights with the new lanterns and are well on the way to successfully delivering the project on budget and to programme timescales.

These LED lanterns use less energy and produce a more natural and focused light than the traditional orange glow of streetlights. They are extremely long-lasting products and have an expected lifetime of up to 100,000 hours. This is approximately two times longer than a typical conventional street lighting lamp. As a result, Suffolk County Council is expecting to reduce its annual electricity costs on the streetlights by around 76%, saving more than £1.7 million a year. This is 16% more than what was originally anticipated.

The programme is on schedule to be completed by the end of May 2022, with all heritage-style lanterns being upgraded towards the end of the programme. Prior to commencing in towns or parishes, Suffolk Highways is contacting those councils in case they wish to upgrade their parish-council owned street-lighting at the end of the project.

Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Ipswich, Operational Highways and Flooding, said:

I recently visited the team working in Ipswich and am very impressed to see the speed at which they are moving across the county to get this work completed. This is one of the many pieces of work we’re doing to become a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030.The project will see a reduction in carbon emissions by saving energy, reducing light pollution as well as providing clearer images on CCTV, traffic cameras and dashcam footage for the benefit of public safety. A big thank you to all involved so far, and I wish the team continued success as the project progresses towards completion.

Iain Blackmore, Strategic Director at Bouygues Energies & Services, said:

“As we continue to support Suffolk County Council’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030, we are proud to have now completed 20,000 street lighting upgrades. Switching to LED street lighting should reduce the electrical energy cost for the local authority by at least 76% and more than double the lighting’s lifespan. It’s a real pleasure to work in partnership with such a forward thinking authority.”

Keep a look out for signs in your area to see where the teams are working next and follow @Suff_highways on Twitter for regular updates.