COUNTY hall chiefs from Worcestershire can apply for cash from a £440 million pot to improve street lighting.

Local authorities across England will be able to apply for the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits to improve street lighting on their local roads.

Announcing the funding, Transport Minister Sadiq Khan said: “Good quality street lighting improves road safety and reduces crime and the fear of crime.

"This funding will help to create safer and healthier local communities by promoting social inclusion and more sustainable patterns of transport such as cycling and walking.”

Full details of how local authorities can apply for this funding will be issued to all local authority chief executives in September asking for formal expressions of interest by December.

PFI credits are paid as a Special Grant and calculated according to a formula set out in the Special Grant Report which will be published for the relevant financial year.

Revenue Support starts in the first year in which the authority payments under the contract are made.

So far, 19 street lighting projects have commenced operation in England. A further ten are currently in procurement, having been endorsed by the Project Review Group (PRG).

A Worcestershire County Council spokesman said: "This announcement of PFI credits has just been made by the Government and will need careful and detailed consideration before we can make a formal response within the timescale they have set out. The county council always looks at potential sources of funding and is committed to providing a high quality and affordable street lighting service to the people of Worcestershire."