A Labour-run council is set to dim streetlights in a desperate bid to cut costs after splurging £25million on climate change schemes which have left locals outraged.
Debt-riddled Lambeth Council, in south London, has unveiled the move as part of a plan to drive down energy bills in an attempt to save £70million.
The authority said ‘years of austerity’ have forced it to look at ways to slash spending, which will now see it turning down the lighting ‘mostly during the middle of the night’.
The council, which was the first in London to declare a ‘climate change emergency’, is £936million in debt and is paying out £10million a year in interest alone.
However, Lambeth employs some 40 people whose salary tops £100,000, reports The Times.
And in recent years, it has splashed out huge sums on costly climate change schemes as part of its lofty ambition to reach net zero by 2030 – 20 years before the national target.
However, government data has painted a grim picture of how Lambeth is run, showing the authority is one of the least effective councils when it comes to delivering basic services like housing and adult social care.
Meanwhile, despite struggling in some areas, the council has continued to pump in cash to fund green initiatives like rain gardens, and low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) which are hated by locals.
Residents were so enraged over the council’s LTN rollout, that earlier this year fuming locals sought to haul Lambeth into court over the ‘flawed’ plan, which was forced through despite huge opposition.
The West Dulwich Action Group, made up of residents and business owners, is asking London’s High Court to force Lambeth council to scrap an LTN plan which two-thirds of residents do not want.
Legal documents, seen by The Telegraph, list various ‘failings’ by the council whilst gathering residents views on the LTN in West Dulwich, which it is claimed proved they ‘erred in law’.
Court documents show how Lambeth council’s consultation found 67.5 per cent of locals asked ‘were either unhappy or very unhappy’ with the LTN plan. Despite this, it still went ahead with the plans.
A spokesperson for The West Dulwich Action Group said at the time: ‘Once again, Lambeth council is riding roughshod over the wishes of the vast majority of its residents, showing a blatant disregard for pollution and collision data.
‘The council refuses to listen or engage with the community, insisting it knows best despite evidence to the contrary.
‘Democracy has been replaced with diktats, as councillors and staff relentlessly pursue a green ideology, regardless of whether their policies actually improve the environment.’
In the council’s financial strategy report, revealed last week, it said pressures on services, particularly having to provide emergency accommodation, and soaring inflation meant it had forecast a budget deficit of £69 million over the next four years.
The report claimed the plan to dim street lighting would ‘allow the council to strengthen its environmental record by tackling light pollution and energy use, whilst ensuring our streets and green spaces remain safe’.
As well as dimming street lights, the council would also seek to increase parking charges and consult on changes to council tax support and children’s centre provision.
Lambeth Council added that the budget used to spend on climate change schemes was separate to its overall budget – which is where its debt is.
A Lambeth Council spokesman told : ‘Lambeth must save almost £70million. This is mainly because of a big rise in the cost of housing homeless families, and the spike in inflation having made providing community services far more expensive.
‘The big rise in demand for the services our vulnerable residents depend on follows more than a decade of deep cuts to council budgets.
‘This situation means we must review all spending.
‘Like many other councils, Lambeth will explore options around adaptive street lighting and dimming street lighting, mostly during the middle of the night.
‘This will cut light pollution and energy use, whilst ensuring our streets and green spaces remain safe.
‘We have also put in place internal spending controls, which include reviewing all recruitment, ending agency placements and reviewing all consultancy and advisory contracts.’