Cornish town rebels against street lights switch off due to safety fears
A Cornish town has rebelled against a directive by Cornwall Council to switch off its street lights from midnight to 5am for most of the week
Last updated 6th Jul 2026
A Cornish town has rebelled against a directive by Cornwall Council to switch off its street lights from midnight to 5am for most of the week.
Redruth Town Council has voted in favour of a motion proposing that it should formally oppose Cornwall Council’s plan, which was due to see a full switch-off from midnight to 5am on Sunday to Thursday night and “ultra-dimmed” street lighting for the same hours on Friday and Saturday nights from the end of May.
At a full council meeting on Monday (June 29), Cllr Aaron Mays asked that his fellow councillors call on the unitary authority to either exempt Redruth entirely from the scheme – which is being rolled out across Cornwall – or, at a minimum, that the town is allowed to implement a “dimming-only profile” in place of any total blackouts.
Cllr Mays’ motion stated: “Darkened streets provide convenient cover for anti-social behaviour and criminal activity; furthermore, the safety of women and girls in these pitch black conditions is a fundamental right that must be protected. Lack of light would also hinder residents’ ability to accurately identify and report incidents to the authorities.
“Implementing a total switch-off between the hours of midnight and 5am creates a difficult environment for night shift employees and those who work irregular schedules. These hard-working residents are council tax payers and are entitled to a safe, well-lit commute and should not be forced to navigate unlit streets.
“Redruth is characterised by narrow paths and uneven pavements. Total darkness in these areas significantly escalates the risk of trips, falls and injuries for any pedestrian traversing the town at night.
“A complete cessation of street lighting compromises the fundamental safety of all road users, increasing the likelihood of avoidable vehicular accidents.”
The proposal added: “Residents living with visual impairments, or any disability that negatively affects sight and mobility, are effectively facing a de-facto ‘curfew’. These individuals will be rendered unable to safely leave their homes during these hours, leading to increased isolation and a loss of independence.
“Local residents have consistently faced the maximum allowable year-on-year council tax increases. To withdraw a fundamental public safety service while simultaneously increasing the financial burden on households is unacceptable and represents a failure in the council’s duty of care to the community. In short, residents are being asked to pay more money to be significantly less safe.”
Cllr Mays’ motion concluded that “while we acknowledge the pressing necessity of local government budget management, the safety and physical wellbeing of Redruth residents must not be the price paid for these financial savings. We strongly urge Cornwall Council to reconsider this policy.”
Following the vote, Cllr Mays – who was voted on to the town council as the Reform UK member for Redruth North in March – took to social media to say: “I’m over the moon as, when my speech began, I had lost my seconder and the motion seemed to be dead. I gave a passionate speech and I managed to convince half the present councillors to vote in favour of the motion.”
The vote ended with six in favour and six against, with Redruth mayor Cllr Alison Biscoe using her casting vote to approve the proposal.
Cornwall Council’s website states: “To help reduce light pollution some of our lights are turned off part of the night, usually between midnight and 5am. This will help meet the council’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030. It will also reduce light pollution.
“We are rolling this out in batches of approximately 1,000 lights at a time and currently have 10,000 switched off. Based on the current approved policy there are 36,000 lights (of 56,000) that will be switched off by the end of the project.
“Council tax will not be reduced as part of this initiative. The street lighting energy cost per night in 2021 was £5,274 and in 2023 had increased to £9,445 per night. Energy prices remain at the increase rate. The council must continue to implement changes to make savings both for the environment to meet our carbon commitments and manage budgets.
“Once the switch-off project is complete the annual saving, based on current energy rates, will be £680,000 per year. This equates to a saving of £1,863 per night.”