This petition is open to all Shropshire residents.
Shropshire Council have recently taken the decision to extinguish street lights they are responsible for beween the hours of midnight and 5 am in an effort to reduce their electricity costs, and as part of their cost saving measures. This has been carried out in most Shropshire towns including my home town of Market Drayton, with the last handful now waiting to be modified. Street lights under local Town council control are at present unaffected. A good friend Sian Rushton and myself decided to try and make a difference and opted to start a public petition to voice everyones concerns. I run the Drayton Crier Facebook page and have had numerous messages expressing concern, even fear at walking in the unlit streets. Many people have to walk to work in totally unlit streets. This causes concerns on Health and safety trips falls etc, and the incresed possibility of personal attacks to both people and property.
We realise that cuts have to be made but ask Shropshire council to reconsider their methodology in carrying out this work. Surely extinguishing every other street lamp would be a far better option allowing all streets to be lit but at a lower level.
There have been problems with light going off at 10:30 pm in some areas this has taken a considerable time to adust its self. This willoccur twice a year. Considering this has now been done in most Shropshire towns we feel its time for the residents to take a stand and complain about the method in which this cost saving has been carried out.
Please help us lobby Shropshire Council to extingush every other lamp in every street not create total blackout areas which create areas where some feel crime could increse and personal safety could but treatened.