Essex County Council in UK projects it will be able to save about GBP 24 million (US$ 34.23 million) over 20 years with new LED streetlight installations, but despite energy savings it still plans to implement its part-night lighting scheme, reported local paper Dealer Offers.

City authorities is expected to approve a GBP 9 million LED bulb installation project at a cabinet meeting on March 21, 2016, but the lighting replacement will only be applicable to lights that remain on throughout the night.

An estimated 19,000 sodium streetlights will be replaced with LEDs, which is equivalent to 14% of lights in the county.

The part-night lighting scheme was implemented by the council in 2013 and 2014, which they claimed would save GBP 1 million per year by turning off most lights between midnight to 5 am.

Revisions have since been made to the policy, and the time the lights remain on was extended to 1 am, for six nights per week.

Kerry Smith, county councillor for Basildon Westley Heights, who has advocated for full LED streetlight installation across Essex has noted the LED streetlights would be much brighter and safer than old sodium lights, but the battle remains to swap all streetlights with LEDs.

Rodney Bass, county councillor responsible for infrastructure, said: “The council has undertaken a pilot to evaluate the use of LED technology as a replacement for the existing lanterns.”

At the cabinet meeting next week, city authorities will decide whether to award the GBP 9.2 million streetlight installation contract to maintenance firm Ringway Jacobs.