Go-ahead for lights 'upgrade'

And it could save council £1.2m a year

- Joseph Richards

A TWO-YEAR £5 million plan to replace more than 15,000 street lights in Staffordshire has been sanctioned by councillors.

The county council approved the plans which they say could save them £1.2 million in energy costs a year by replacing existing street lights with energy-efficient LED lights.

Thousands of older orange lights will be replaced with modern LEDs, use less electricity and last anywhere between 20 to 25 years. Traditional street lights typically last only four years.

The project will be delivered over two years by E.ON, which manages the county's highway lighting network on behalf of the council.