An online petition has been set up and a campaign is being organised against the switching off of street lights across Powys.
Angry residents and councillors in Llandrindod Wells have jumped into action just hours after the first switch-off took place in the town.
They claim the turning off of 509 lights in the town, leaving just 382, has plunged parts of the town into complete darkness, and they are concerned it will lead to fear and intimidation, falls and accidents, and increased crime.
Town and county councillors are also angry that they were not been consulted properly and had not been given proper notice before the switch-off started.
Powys County Council says the action is necessary to fund massive energy increases. Two out of three lights in non sensitive areas will be switched off as the council attempts to manage its power budget.
It says the switch-off, which started on Monday, could also cut the council’s carbon footprint by up to 1,100 tonnes a year and reduce night sky pollution.
County councillor Gary Price said he had walked through Trefonnen and around the lake on Monday.
“I felt really scared. I was anxious because there are lots of alleyways at Trefonnen and they were pitch black. I could hear youths, they weren’t doing anything wrong, but I could not see them and that was intimidating.
“I went to the lake and I fear for anyone walking around there after dark, it’s pitch black.”
He has created an on-line petition against the switching off of lights and urges residents to sign up at www.ipetitions.com/petition/streetlightinginpowys/.
Resident John Devereux of Llethyr Bryn is planning to launch a campaign after having to turn his car to an angle in the road so that his disabled friend could safely find her way up the steps to her home. “She could not see because the lights had been switched off. I had to angle my car across the road to shine my lights on the steps.
“I am going to start a campaign ‘No street lighting, No recycling,’” said Mr Devereux.
“Powys County Council needs to meet Welsh Assembly Government recycling targets and to do that they rely on the goodwill of householders, so if people stop recycling and maybe have signs in their gardens saying ‘No street lights, No recycling’, Powys will miss its targets and may change their minds. It was an idea that struck me because it’s the only direct action householders can take to show their displeasure at the switching off of lights.
“If it does not have the desired effect, the next positive action would be for 200 or 300 cars owners to drive to County Hall car park at 6am and take up all the available spaces.”
A spokesman for Powys County Council warned that if the council did not meet its recycling targets then it will be fined by the Assembly and the cost would fall on council tax payers.
Disabled resident Margaret Tate said there were quite a few disabled people living where she does at Ddole Road and it was frightening and dangerous for them not to be able to see. She said she also feared the number of burglaries and other crimes would increase.
Town councillor, former Powys county councillor and Llandrindod Wells Mayor, Councillor Keith Tampin, said that as a driver for Shropdoc he already had problems finding some addresses because they had house names instead of numbers. He said switching off lights would make it worse.
“Powys staff have been given leaflets telling them how to answer queries from the public, for example is the council liable if someone falls or someone’s property is damaged or burgled, and staff are told to say no.
“But I think Powys would be liable and I would encourage anyone who falls to take action against the council. They talk about how much money they are going to save, but if they want to save big money they could get rid of the three top officers and save one third of a million a year in salaries and pensions and no-one would even notice the difference.
“Three out of five of the lights on the public footpath across the high school field have been switched off, which I think will be a danger for children leaving school in a couple of months, and some of the alleyways at Trefonnen are pitch black.”
County councillor Mike Hodges said: “My main concern is that we were promised that we would have time to consider which lights were going to be turned off, and that officers would look at the areas because of the possibility of unruliness, drug-taking and health and safety issues. None of these considerations have been forwarded to community, town or county councillors. None of us will be given a choice before the lights are turned off.
“I feel sorry for the junior officers having to undertake this and I hold the Board entirely responsible for not finding the funds for lighting when there are other areas in the county that are running with plenty of money to spare.”
But Councillor Gwilym Evans, Board Member for Local Services said; “The council is responsible for more than 14,000 street lights on county roads and is facing huge increases in energy costs at a time when budgets are under increasing pressure.
“We had considered moving to part-night lighting and other measures to tackle the budget problem but the scale of energy cost increases and time required to carry out the work has meant a taking a more radical approach.
“The Board decided that the only way to keep within budget with the scale of increases was to switch off the majority of lights in some areas. That work has now started.”
Chief Inspector Chris Curtis of Dyfed Powys Police said: “I would like to reassure the community that this process has been subject to lengthy and widespread consultation with all interested parties in order to arrive at the locations identified by the local authority.
“Whilst I recognise that there may be some disquiet in terms of the proposal, let me reassure the community that ongoing monitoring will take place to ensure no increase in crime and disorder is forthcoming as a result of the planned switch-off.”
