The city council switching off streetlights at night has saved the stricken authority £150,000.

But an opposition councillor has reignited safety concerns after saying people feel less safe.

Streetlights in residential areas of Southampton had been turned off between 1am and 4am every day.

However, in December 2023, the council increased the amount of time they were off, with the lights off until 5.30am.

Tory councillor Jeremy Moulton has hit back after the council announced a £150,000 saving over 12 months.

He told the Echo: “I think it has made many people feel a lot less safe.

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Daily Echo: Cllr Jeremy MoultonCllr Jeremy Moulton (Image: Newsquest)

“Labour councillors seem to think this is helping save planet. In reality it’s just making people and property less safe.”

Cllr Moulton also stated that if the Conservative party were in power at Southampton City Council, the street lights would be switched back on.

He said: “Conservatives would switch the lights back on if we ran the council.

“If Labour are serious about saving money and energy, they would sort out the communal heating schemes in council blocks which mean tenants having to leave their windows open because they can't turn their heating down.”

Though many of the city’s streets are remain unlit, lighting in the city centre, main roads or areas with high crime rates remain on.

A spokesperson for Southampton City Council said: “Southampton City Council introduced part-night street lighting on certain roads from April 2023.

“The timing was then extended part-night (across the same lights/roads) from between 1am and 5.30am from December 1, 2023.”

They added: “We are significantly reducing our carbon footprint by introducing part-night street lighting and realising energy cost savings of approximately £150,000 a year. 

“We will make additional financial savings and further reduce the impact of our carbon footprint, through a recent switch to 1,000 LED streetlights during December 2023 and via a much wider LED swap-out across the city which is being planned.”