A six-figure upgrade of street lighting is set for completion in Ipswich by the end of March next year – and council chiefs say the work will not affect current arrangements to keep lights on at night.

Ipswich Borough Council has confirmed it is spending £191,000 to upgrade street lights it owns and which have not already been improved to LED bulbs.

The pledge is designed to reduce running costs and the carbon output, with a completion date anticipated to be March 31, 2022.

The authority said that some of its lamps had already been upgraded, and stressed that the decision to improve public safety by keeping on the lights it owns would not change.

Phil Smart, portfolio holder for the environment at Ipswich Borough Council’s Labour administration, said: “The LED lamps are highly efficient, environmentally friendly and require about 60% less energy.

“LED street lighting will minimise ambient light pollution into the sky, or homes and gardens, by directing light onto the road and pavement where it is needed. The lamps will also last six to seven times longer.

“Back in March 2021, Ipswich Borough Council responded to public concerns about safety in the light of Sarah Everard’s death and made the decision to leave on all night all of the street lights within Ipswich that the borough council owns.

“The use of LED lamps won’t change that decision, the lamps will remain on all night, but there will be less wasted light as the light will be more directed to the ground.”

The funding will only be for the lamps owned by the borough council – around 737.

Suffolk County Council owns the others, around 7,000, although a contract is in place for the county council to maintain all lights.

That maintenance contract will cover the upgrade works signed off by the borough council.