LET there be light – streetlights will be back on overnight in Coventry this month.
Coventry City Council has announced all streetlights across the city will be back on throughout the night thanks to energy reduction savings and a fall in electricity prices.
The move spells the end of an 18-month period when streetlights across the city were either switched off or dimmed between midnight and 5.30am as part of a plan to save more than £700,000 a year.
The switch on, set for Tuesday (September 9), comes ahead of a two-year programme, beginning later this year, to replace traditional streetlights with modern LED units, starting in Hillfields in St Michael’s and expanding outwards.
Council leader Coun George Duggins said: “We had planned to switch the lights back on as we made the upgrade to LEDs – but that would have meant some parts of the city had lights while others didn’t.
“Thanks to the savings that have been made, we can switch every single light back on in one go on Tuesday September 9. I think that’s great news for everyone and I believe it’s things like this that set us apart in Coventry.”
The LED upgrade is expected to deliver long-term financial savings and environmental benefits – and is part of the council’s wider plan to reduce carbon emissions and cut energy use.
Coun Patricia Hetherton, Cabinet Member for City Services, said: “I’m really pleased that we have found a way to switch street lights back on while delivering a major upgrade to energy-saving LEDs.
“The smart choices we made during tough times, along with falling electricity prices, mean we can now invest in long-term improvements without compromising right across the city.
“This programme is not only good for the environment, but it also brings real benefits to local people – especially those working or travelling in the early hours. I want to thank residents for their patience and understanding – these cuts have been hard on us all. Let there be light!”
In January,
The council approved the £10.2million programme to upgrade up to 29,500 streetlights to LED back in January.
Since then, the council’s streetlighting costs have dropped from 38p per unit to 24p, delivering a £1.2million saving in 2024-25. Based on current energy prices, the original £700,000 savings target is still achievable without needing to continue part-night lighting.
The Council has already secured a portion of planned savings for 2025 from part-night lighting between April and August 2025. With overnight lighting returning next week, the council will still have saved more than £1million in the current financial year.
The LED streetlight replacement programme will be phased over two years. Installation teams will begin working from November, starting in the city centre and expanding outward.
