Calls for improved public lighting to help cut down on anti-social behaviour in Tipperary

Two south Tipperary councillors have called for improved public lighting to help cut down on anti-social behaviour in towns and villages, as well maintaining safety for people walking to work during darkness hours early in the morning or late in the evening.

Councillors John Fitzgerald and Andy Moloney were speaking at a meeting of Tipperary County Council in Nenagh on Monday where there was a widespread welcome for improvements to public lighting across the county announced at the meeting.

Director of Services Marcus Burke and Senior Engineer Liam Brett revealed plans to extend the range of public lighting from the 50kph speed limit in towns and villages as far as the 60kph limit; to make funding available in exceptional circumstances for Active Travel Needs, such as walking to work in the dark; and the provision of funding to individual municipal districts for improvements in their own area.

Welcoming the move, Clonmel councillor John Fitzgerald (FG) said the extension of public lighting to the 60kph limit is crucial in such elongated villages as Kilsheelan and Clerihan.

However, he suggested the extension of public lighting further in lanes and dark spots to help curb anti-social behaviour. He claimed that well-lit areas would be a huge help to Gardai and asked that this be considered in areas where anti-social behaviour festers.

Independent Cahir councillor Andy Moloney said he had concerns about public lighting in some areas of employment. He cited the Clogheen Road in Cahir which leads to the ABP meat plant.

“There are 750 people working there, many of them non-Irish, and we want to impress the importance of safety on the roads for them”, Cllr Moloney told the meeting.

He said there are footpaths and underground ducting available on the route to the factory and he suggested there might be wriggle room to include public lighting on a timer system that would switch on in the night and go off again in the morning.

Clonmel councillor Siobhan Ambrose (FF) said adequate public lighting was crucial in all areas and she welcomed the improvements announced at the meeting. However, she called for the inclusion of public lighting in the Active Travel Scheme to facilitate people walking to work. She thanked the council for its response to her pleas for improved lighting in Kilcash, Kilsheelan and Lisronagh in her own area.

Carrick-on-Suir councillor David Dunne said the new LED lights appear darker than the former lights. “They are brighter underneath them but the light doesn’t spread as much”, he stated. The Sinn Fein member added that regardless of the quality of public lighting, anyone out walking at night should wear Hi-Vis vests.

Cllr Michael Anglim (FF) highlighted the importance of good street lighting and remarked that LED lights were so good in rural areas that “you could nearly land a plane with them”.

Cllr Mairin McGrath (Indpt) said the extension of the range for street lighting to the 60kph limit was vital.

Council chairman Roger Kennedy (FF) asked about the possibility of using solar lighting. He said such a system was in operation at a motorway junction at Cashel where batteries were charged during the day for use at night. He said that there might be an initial investment for the council but he believed it was a project that could be looked at, initially as a pilot project.

The meeting heard that Tipperary County Council has a stock of over 17,800 street lights and that public lighting represents 38% of the council’s entire energy usage, and 65% of council’s electricity usage. The council has introduced LED lights in recent years to reduce the maintenance bill, as they have to be maintained less frequently, and are also more energy efficient.

The cost to power, maintain and improve the 17,850 street lights in 2021 was €1.9million with a similar projected cost for 2022.

Engineer Liam Brett agreed with Cllr Dunne that the new LED lights are very different to the old sodium lights, that spread light in every direction but the LED lights do not. LED lights have to blend in with the environment and should not impact on nature, he remarked.