Swindon street lights could be turned off as council tries to save money

The budget will be considered by the full council next week

Street lights could be dimmed or turned off in Swindon, as the council attempts to save money.

CCTV cameras could also not be monitored in real-time as a money-saving measure.

These measures are in Swindon Borough Council's draft budget for next year and will go before the full council next week.

When presented in front of the authority's scrutiny committee, concerns were raised about the impact on safety.

One item in the budget says the council will cease the monitoring of CCTV feeds in real-time to save an estimated £195,000.

Officers will also make an assessment on whether street lights should be dimmed or turned off at night to save £600,000.

Kevin Parry, the cabinet member for waste collection and disposal, and highways maintenance, said CCTV footage would still be available for police if any crime had been reported to them.

But that, said Labour councillor Marina Strinkovsky, could leave some people feeling vulnerable: “There’s a difference between crime detection, and crime prevention, he said.

"Without anyone watching live, the CCTV will only be useful if a crime takes place, and if it is reported, and if the police are inclined to look at the CCTV and if it captures anything.

“The people who are often victimised by the sort of crimes CCTV can prevent often say they feel safer if they know that someone is watching and can summon the police if something happens."

Cllr Parry said there will be no cut in the number of cameras covering the borough and said there was an offer to the police to monitor the feeds if the force wanted to.

He was pressed by Labour councillor Jim Grant on whether streetlights would be switched off.

Cllr Parry said that was still being looked at and said: “We are just looking at tweaking the lights down by 20 per cent in some areas – and that won’t be noticed much at all.

"There have been some complaints the lights are too bright, so turning them down a notch shouldn’t have an impact on safety.”

Credit: Alex Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter