A proposed budget in the British city of Newport proposes turning off street lights to cut costs, but officials worry the move would put residents at risk.
The city, located in south Wales, included the measure in its 2023/2024 draft budget. If implemented, about half of the city’s lights would be out between midnight and 6 a.m., BBC News reported.
FILE: Nearly empty streets in Newport Mall.
(fake images)
Newport Green Party Councilor Lauren James said it was imperative that safety considerations be considered.
“I hope the council is looking into it and making sure there are things like high visibility strips on the steps, so it’s safe for those who have to be outside at those times,” he said.
Another council member, Andrew Sterry, said his constituents had raised concerns about a possible rise in crime.
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“I am against this proposal as I have received a lot of feedback from my residents and they are extremely concerned about rising crime rates,” he said. “It wasn’t that long ago that all the street lights were switched to LED to save costs.”
A proposed budget was made available to the public on December 15, 2022. It is scheduled to close on February 2, 2023.
Among the other plans is a 9.5% increase in municipal taxes due to “increasing costs and pressures facing the municipality.”
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Living costs in the UK have skyrocketed in recent months. At the end of last year, inflation in the UK reached a 41-year high of 11.1%, driven by sharp increases in energy and food costs.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
