REDDITCH residents are being invited to take a look at plans for the town to be one of the first in Worcestershire to trial part-night street lighting.

Worcestershire County Council has decided to move forward with the plans to reduce energy consumption and save money by reducing the hours of two out of three streetlights so that they are only lit from dusk until midnight.

Redditch is set to be one of the first areas in the county to move to the new lighting system, and local people are ebing invited to find out more about the project at Sainsbury’s and Tesco Express in Batchley on Thursday, March 20 from 4-7pm.

There will also be a number of displays on show in the town’s library until December, and further exhibitions will be announced shortly.

Major traffic routes are exempt from the proposals with the one third of street lights remaining lit, being selected by location to include junctions and bends.

A trial study conducted in selected streets in Droitwich between November 2012 and May 2013 showed no discernible change in crime or road safety incidents.

Cllr John Smith OBE, Worcestershire County Council cabinet member for highways, said: "Like residents and businesses, the county council wants to minimise its energy bills and reduce its carbon emissions.

"We understand this issue is important, which is why, following a trial period in Droitwich, we're looking to move things forward in a flexible way. We also recognise that residents are best placed to advise us on which lights should be kept on.

"I also want to emphasis this will be is a part-night switch-off of two out of three lights, in residential areas, from midnight until 6am. It's very important people are not confused and understand that at other times the street lighting should remain unchanged."

It is hoped the plans will result in a saving of £500,00 a year once the scheme is fully rolled out. For more information on the plans, visit worcestershire.gov.uk/streetlight.