Hillingdon car parks get safety boost with energy-efficient lighting

The car parks are the latest locations to be improved following improvements to the lighting in the Grainges car park in Uxbridge in February. 

The new 24-volt intelligent lighting system will produce energy savings and reduce the council's carbon emissions but will also tackle residents' concerns over safety by ensuring, bright, evenly distributed light at night times. 

At The Cedars, the new lighting system will ensure energy savings of 85,000 Kw/h per year and a reduction of carbon emissions of 18.87 tonnes - the equivalent of around 19 transatlantic flights. Blyth Road is a smaller location, where the primary benefit of the new lighting is to improve security on the site. Despite having fewer lights than The Cedars, it has 50 per cent more lights than before but will still generate energy and cost savings. 

The lighting system is monitored remotely by the council, which can program each individual light fittings to a set brightness. The system is 'smart' with a self-reporting facility, so it can also alert if there's been a power failure and trigger a back-up power system, providing up to nine hours of emergency lighting. 

Cllr Eddie Lavery, Cabinet Member for Residents' Services, said: "We're committed to making our borough both safer and more sustainable, while providing residents' value for money. 

"These new lighting systems have the immediate benefit of providing well-lit spaces where people can feel safer and the longer-term benefit of reduced carbon emissions and running costs, so we can achieve our carbon reduction targets." 

Next in line for a lighting upgrade will be the three car parks at the Civic Centre in Uxbridge, bringing further cost and energy savings and helping the council in its carbon neutral ambitions. Work is due to begin in the autumn.