A SCHEME to replace street lighting lanterns in Eastbourne with modern LED alternatives has passed the halfway mark.

East Sussex County Council has now installed more than 3,000 of the 5,800 bulbs being introduced as part of a county-wide drive to save £885,000 from the street lighting budget over the next three years.

The roll-out is on course to be completed by the end of March, before engineers from the council’s contractor, Colas, move on to Hastings, where a further 5,500 LED bulbs will be installed.

The changes in Eastbourne, which include dimming lights in some streets, will save around £150,000 a year and achieve a reduction of 900 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

The switch is being completed on a ward-by-ward basis and has been accompanied by a series of public information events for each of the borough’s nine wards.

Cllr Carl Maynard, council lead member for transport and environment, said: “This is a large-scale operation but it will deliver big benefits to Eastbourne and the county as a whole.

“Switching to LED lights will help to reduce our energy bill, cut down on long-term maintenance costs, provide better quality lighting and reduce light pollution.

“It’s very important that we keep residents informed and we have done that by visiting every area of Eastbourne, as well as offering people the chance to comment on the changes online.

“We’re very pleased with the way the work has progressed so far and we’re on course to complete the work in Eastbourne in the spring.”

The switch has been made possible by recent advances in technology which have increased the performance of LED lighting and reduced their cost.

LED lights will be installed elsewhere in the county as new schemes are introduced or where existing lights needs replacing.