Street Lighting

Published: 26 November 2025

Email from Cambridgeshire County Council, dated 26.11.2025

Half of Cambridgeshire’s streetlighting has now been upgraded to newer, more efficient LED (light emitting diode) lights, as part of a project to substantially reduce the County Council’s carbon emissions. LED lanterns are due to put in place in your area within the next 6 months.

LEDs can cut energy consumption from street lighting by more than half. When complete, the LED upgrade project is anticipated to save around 464 tonnes of CO2e and over 6m kWh each year. The newer lanterns are also more reliable and offer a whiter light which is focused directly downwards on to the highway meaning there’s less light spill into surrounding areas.

The project, which is being carried out by contractors Balfour Beatty, has replaced 23,750 lights and will replace 47,500 street lanterns by late 2026. Cambridgeshire County Council is responsible for more than 55,000 streetlights across the county including some which have already been upgraded to LEDs as well as heritage lights.

Reducing the existing carbon usage of streetlights is vital to achieving our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and in addition to the environmental benefit, the installation of energy-saving LED lighting will help to significantly reduce future spending on streetlighting.

Prior to the start of the programme in January, streetlighting accounted for 53% of the County Council's total electricity use. Once the project is complete in late 2026, streetlighting will represent a third of the Council’s electricity use and a saving of around £1.5m a year on the organisation’s electricity bill.

Electricity for the county’s streetlighting is purchased on a tariff which guarantees that it’s from 100% renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydro-electric power.

LED technology is extremely reliable with very few instances of streetlights failing or not coming on at night. The new streetlights are designed for 20 years of continuous life, with no maintenance (other than cleaning) required.

The LED streetlights have been rigorously tested to ensure they provide a similar level of brightness on the road to the older, less energy efficient streetlights. In rural areas, a ‘softer’ white light will be used, which is slightly less energy-efficient but is better for wildlife, including bats.

The LED streetlights emit light downward, in a more concentrated way directly towards the highway. This means that in a residential area, whilst the road is lit, other places such as verges and driveways, which were previously incidentally lit by the old streetlights, will now likely appear darker. Ensuring that the new streetlights do not significantly illuminate areas beyond the road will reduce light pollution and increase energy efficiency.

If lighting remains a concern after changes, the council has a process to assess needs and respond as appropriate. Work to put in additional lights in Milton is scheduled in November, with discussions about the need for extra lights ongoing with six other parishes.

More information about our streetlight replacement programme and how to request an assessment of light levels in your area is available on our website.

Information on how to report a street lighting fault, and likely repair times are on our website: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/streetlighting.