Cubbingtonians ‘would pay’ for street lights to stay on

Having listened to the concerns of villagers, several of whom are elderly and live alone, the council held a survey in the village for nine weeks which asked residents if they would be prepared to foot the bill for every other light to stay on past midnight during the week and 1am at weekends.

This would require each household in the village to pay an extra £4 in council tax each year to cover the cost to the parish council of about £6,400.

Cllr David Saul said: “There was a good turnout and the results are being collated and checked by our clerk but the early indications are that the majority are in support of having the lights switched back on.

“A lot of the elderly residents, the ladies in particular, have told me that they feel frightened about the lights going off and they feel cut off.

“One said to me that the worst feeling is loneliness and I said I am going to fight like mad to get those lights back on.”

The results will be announced at the next parish council meeting at the village hall on Tuesday October 8.

The parish council will then put its proposals to Warwickshire County Council.

County councillor Peter Butlin (Con, Admirals), who is responsible for transport and planning, said it was unlikely the proposal would be feasible.

He said: “We would end up with total anarchy if every parish council decided to do this.

“We have to have a unified policy otherwise it would create a postcode lottery which would be unworkable.

“The only way the parish council could do it is if they took control of their own lighting system, which they couldn’t possibly afford to do.”

A review of the county’s street lighting policy will take place in October.