SOLAR-powered lighting could soon be lighting up the streets of Worcestershire.

Worcestershire County Council is keen to save money on its spiralling fuel bills by cutting down on the amount it spends on street lighting – but is not prepared to follow a number of other councils and switch off rural street lamps late at night.

Instead, cabinet member for the environment Councillor Derek Prodger said he was investigating the possibility of installing hi-tech solar-powered street lights that store up energy during the day and then light up at night. The likely costs of such a scheme are not yet known, and the county council has not as yet budgeted any spending for such a plan.

But Coun Prodger said that in the long-run it could reduce the council’s £2.6 million annual street lighting bill.

“It’s something we’re looking at proactively,” he said.

“We have to look at the costs of it and we don’t have the figures yet, but it’s something you are starting to see in some parts of the country.

“We’re looking at ways of cutting our fuel consumption, particularly after the year that’s just gone.”

Soaring oil prices during 2008 caused the county’s annual fuel bill to come in £1.2 million over-budget.

Back in 2006, your Worcester News reported how the county council was considering switching off street lighting in some rural areas to save energy and cash.

That idea never came to fruition, however, and last week a report by not-for-profit healthcare organisation the Cochrane Collaboration suggested street lighting reduced the risk of serious road accidents.

Coun Prodger said the council has no plans to switch off street lights late at night – unless villages demand otherwise.

“In principle as a council we’re supporting rural street lighting,” he said.

“Some parishes actually do not wish to have street lighting late at night – they prefer the natural darkness for the benefits of the wildlife, such as the owl population and so on. So we leave it up to the individual parishes.

“If parishes want to keep their street lights that’s fine with us.”

A spokesman for the council said: “Worcestershire County Council regards the safety of our communities as a very important priority, and street lamps form an important part of ensuring that residents continue to feel safe.”