Plan for LED street lights across Walsall

Council bosses are considering removing all street lights across the borough in favour of energy-efficient alternatives and will discuss the plan at a cabinet meeting next month.

Councillor Adrian Andrew said the move would save the council hundreds of thousands of pounds each year - but at this stage would not reveal how much the scheme would cost other than revealing it would be in the millions.

He said: "The scheme has been ongoing for a number of years. We've undertaken some pilot projects across the borough and fitted small areas of around 2,000 lights.

"The LED lights will save money and reduce the carbon footprint.

"It will save us hundreds of thousands of pounds annually."

Walsall could be lit with LED lights within a couple of years, according to Councillor Andrew.

"We'll have to go out to tender, then we're hoping that we will be fully LED within a couple of years.

"Then within six months of completion the savings will start."

The proposal comes as the cash-strapped authority looks to balance the books due to budget pressures.

The council's decision to axe funding for the community alarm system was approved last year and met with protests, while a proposal to cut funds for a vital school transport service for students with special needs and disabilities was scrapped last month.

And at the end of last year it was revealed Walsall Council is predicting it could overspend by more than £700,000 in children's services by the end of the financial year.

The council planned for £178,000 in reserves to be used to reduce the overspend.

And an action plan will be implemented to further reduce the overspend to £110,000.

Councillor Andrew added: "LED lights are good lights, the technology has improved and we have got some massive savings that we have to make, so by making this investment the savings will be quite substantial."

The cabinet meeting where the proposal will be discussed will be held on March 20.