Bolton Council has scooped a prestigious national award for its LED street lighting scheme and innovative use of lighting technology.
The authority won the ‘street lighting’ category at APSE’s Highways, Street Lighting and Winter Maintenance Innovation awards held in Blackpool.
Now in their second year, the Association for Public Service Excellence awards celebrate innovation and the delivery of front line services in local government.
Almost 26,000 street lamps on residential streets have been replaced with lower carbon LED lanterns, which use less energy and last for longer.
The council is now introducing LED lighting on main roads across the borough.
Bolton Council also uses a centrally-controlled light management system which can remotely manage, monitor and vary light output.
The system also uses in-built technology which will allow the council to adapt future SMART technology.
The street lighting programme should save the council £14m over 20 years, and reduce energy use by around 50 per cent.
Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Cllr Nick Peel, said: “I am delighted that the hard work of the team has been recognised and I would like to offer my congratulations to all involved.
“The LED lighting programme and the system we use to control it will help us to save thousands on our annual energy bills and reduce our carbon footprint.”
APSE Chief Executive, Paul O’Brien, added: “APSE was delighted to see such a high calibre of entries for this year’s Street Lighting Innovation Awards, especially when one considers the difficult financial climate local authorities have to currently operate in.
“To emerge as winners in such a competitive category is testament to the ingenuity and ambition of Bolton Council’s street lighting team. They are a credit to their council and the communities they serve.”
Bolton Council has also won an award in the Lux Awards for the recycling programme it has put in place for switching over street lights to lower carbon LED bulbs.