Light Up Powys Home Page

Welcome to the "Light Up Powys" streetlight campaign.

What's it all about?

Powys County Council, with scant regard for the wishes of its Tax Payers, took the undemocratic and unsafe decision to switch off a large proportion of street lighting throughout the county.

According to a recent research document produced for the Home Office, low illumination is a major contributory factor in the night-time fatality rate on all classes of road. AA President, Edmund King says, “The public are in favour of street lighting as a way of improving road safety. Turning off street lights to save money or reduce CO2 may backfire in terms of increased accidents and crime”.

Why is it, then that Powys County Council has decided to switch off up to 67% of street lighting throughout the county? Many rural areas are now left in the dark and it is time that this decision was challenged.

Transport Minister, Rosie Winterton MP has said, "experience shows that better streetlighting helps improve road safety, as well as reducing crime and the fear of crime".

Are taxpayers in Powys not entitled to road safety and lower crime rates? Do we pay less in tax than other areas? No, no, no! This campaign is to reverse this outrageous and potentially life-threatening decision.

The Facts:

A recent study(1) has shown that improved street lighting can reduce crime by 30% and an AA study shows that driving outside of daylight hours is more dangerous – only a quarter of all travel by car drivers is between the hours of 7pm and 8am, yet this period accounts for 40% of fatal and serious injuries.

A Department for Transport study found 63.8% agreed that 'improved street lighting would lead to fewer accidents on the roads'.

On urban main roads a 30% reduction in night time injury accidents can be expected following a significant improvement to very poor lighting. Low illumination is a major contributory factor in the night-time fatality rate.

On motorways, 2.6% of accidents are fatal where street lighting is present, compared to 4.3% of accidents where it is not
On built up roads, 1.3% of accidents are fatal where street lighting is present, compared to 1.9% where it is not
On non-built up roads 3.1% of accidents are fatal in lit conditions, rising to 4.9% in areas without street lights.

The Campaign:

The campaign is being run by a group of concerned Powys residents, lead by Consumer Rights Campaigner, Jonathan Greatorex, who earlier this year took legal action (and won) against the London Borough of Lambeth after he exposed a £500,000 parking scandal in London Local Government.

Montgomeryshire MP, Lembit Opik has given the Light up Powys campaign his full backing saying, "This is one of the great issues facing Powys at this time and as my question in the House of Commons indicates, I am determined to 'Light up Powys' again, even if it means tackling Government ministers head-on. There are a number of other options available, such as renewable energy and low voltage lighting but the one unacceptable option is the unwelcome darkness that has descended across Powys at this time."

How can I help?

1. Sign our ePetition on the Downing Street Website (click on logo below):

2. Download, print off and display one of our campaign banners in your car window:

Welsh Version

English Version

Adobe Acrobat Reader Required

3. Join our Facebook Group - this will enable us to keep in touch with the latest developments.

Click here to join our group:

4. Translation! We would like to be able to offer both Welsh and English versions of this site. If you feel that you would be able to help us translate this site into welsh, then please email us at: lightuppowys@googlemail.com