THE Vale council has begun installing new LED streetlights in all residential streets throughout the county as part of a £1.4 million investment project.

The scheme aims to benefit the environment by reducing Co2 emissions and energy costs.

More than 5,000 conventional street lighting lanterns will be replaced by more efficient LED alternatives, which will be dimmed by 50 per cent between midnight and 6am, meaning increased illumination times and an end to part-night lighting in these areas.

The project will also reduce the council’s ongoing maintenance and repair costs for street lighting as LED lanterns can last for 20 to 25 years or 100,000 hours compared to conventional lighting, which only has a life span of three to six years.

Work to roll out the new lanterns in residential streets has begun in Penarth and will move to Dinas Powys, Sully, Barry, Wenvoe, Peterston, Rhoose, Cowbridge, St Athan, Llantwit Major, Ewenny/Llandow and St Bride’s Major.

The programme to convert all lanterns in residential streets to LED will take some 14 weeks to complete.

Once work has finished, more than 60 per cent of the street lighting infrastructure will have been converted to LED.

It is hoped a further final phase to convert main roads to this technology can take place in the future.

Vale council cabinet member for neighbourhood services and transport, Cllr Geoff Cox, said: “This exciting project is already under way and should have a number of major benefits to residents in the Vale.

“Not only are the new lights more long-lasting and so more cost-effective to maintain, but they will be dimmed rather than extinguished during the night so residential streets will no longer be left in darkness for a period.

“This is a bold scheme that means all residential streets in the Vale will have LED street lighting in the next 14 weeks, with the possibility of main roads in the county receiving similar upgrades in the future.”