Footway lights could be switched off

These include Chapel St Leonards, Ingoldmells, Kirkby-on-Bain and Louth.

All parish councils were invited to comment on the district council’s proposal to save £100,000 per annum on its footway lighting budget.

Of the 65 that responded, only 21 said they were prepared to take up the service and pay the costs out of their parish precepts.

These include Donington-on-Bain, Hagworthingham, Grimoldby and Manby, Horncastle, Hundleby, Partney, Revesby and Mablethorpe and Sutton. Of the remainder, 32 said ‘no’ and 12 said ‘possibly’.

There were 23 councils which failed to respond to the consultation request.

At a meeting of the East Lindsey District Council’s executive board Coun Sandra Harrison noted that many residents are ‘not particularly bothered’ about whether footway lighting is provided within their communities.

Council leader Craig Leyland agreed, saying: “Some people prefer the dark open skies.”

Pending further discussions and clarifications, the executive board resolved to switch from yellow sodium to more energy-efficient white LED lighting in retained lighting such as those located within its own car parks.

This will require a capital investment of £694,000 but is projected to generate an annual revenue saving of about £110,000.

The district council announced in December last year, as part of its Transformation Programme, that it was reviewing the 2,700 footway lights it provides.

A further report will be presented to a meeting of the full council on October 12.