AN OPPOSITION councillor has called for energy-saving bulbs to be installed in street lights in Swindon while her Tory counterpart has said he agrees but money is too tight.

Labour’s shadow lead for Streetsmart, Coun Fay Howard, has called on Swindon Council to develop a program for replacing all streetlight bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs, pointing to a similar decision by Labour-controlled Plymouth City Council.

But although, Conservative Coun Richard Hurley, cabinet member for Streetsmart, said he had looked into the idea he questioned whether a large upfront capital investment could be justified with budgets as limited as they are.

This is not the first time councillors have tried to find ways to save money on electricity - in 2011, the Tory administration agreed to switch off streetlights in a number of areas across the town in order to make budget savings but it was later reversed following pressure from residents and Labour councillors.

Plymouth City Council have reportedly borrowed £11.5m to roll out their LED Streetlight programme but expect to make an average £1.5m worth of energy bill savings each year.

In Swindon, Coun Hurley said officers had costed the project at around £8m with savings of around £450,000 per year, meaning it could take more than 17 years before it pays back.

He said: “I have already spoken of officers when I first took over Streetsmart because I think it is a great idea. It will mean changing every lamppost in Swindon and it is not as simple as just changing the bulb.

“It’s going to happen but what we have to do is do it in phases and look at where’s best to do it and when. It is going to cost an absolute fortune and I would love to go to the cabinet and say ‘give me £8m’ but it is whether we can justify the capital spend now.”

Coun Howard said: “With such significant savings being made by other local councils through installing LED streetlights, I think it’s a no-brainer that Swindon should be doing this aswell.

“LED street lamps are environmentally friendly, use less energy and create less light pollution. It is estimated that replacement of the old lamps with LED technology could reduce the council’s street lighting costs by more than 50 per cent.

“A number of other councils have already begun similar replacement projects to save money and I am already aware of Carillion at the Great Western Hospital installing LED bulbs on streetlights on that site to save money.

“This project would require the council to borrow money but it’s a very low-risk investment that would lead to residents having to spend less of their council-tax on electricity. And compared to risky ventures like the Wi-Fi project, I think this initiative is a much safer investment.”