The London Borough of Barnet, like every local authority, has been put under increasing pressure from the government to meet energy saving targets. To ease transition, the Government Office for London has provided extra Public Finance Initiative (PFI) funds for street lighting schemes to improve safety and reduce crime.
Barnet submitted a request for £27.77m of funding to replace more than 17,500 streetlights and 3,779 columns, which was accepted, and commenced researching alternative street lighting solutions. As part of this process local government officers asked residents in Barnet for their views on street lighting and, given the choice, what style and type of lighting would they prefer to have located outside their homes.
Following this investigation WRTL were invited to demonstrate Stela, our next generation luminaire. Stela provides a white light that has a 100,000 hour service life, provides up to 40% energy savings and delivers a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Richard Bergman, Senior Lighting Engineer with the London Borough of Barnet, said:
“LED lighting was preferable to any existing product. There has been a lot of research and discussion within the lighting industry regarding LEDs and unfortunately there are quite a number of very poor examples out there. It is rare that a product stands out.
“The photometric data for Stela provided by WRTL was exceptional however, and they were able to present very convincing evidence to support our final decision.”
The additional dilemma Barnet faced was to retain use of the existing columns and replace only the ‘head’ of the street light. As Stela is a flexible solution and fully adaptable we were able to accommodate this request and therefore win the contract.
WRTL have supplied the London Borough of Barnet with 14 Stela LED street lights to illuminate a footpath alongside Finchley tube station and 50 Stela LED street lights for a major regeneration project at Colindale, one of the most disadvantaged wards in Barnet. These street lights are located on the borough’s largest council estate, Grahame Park, which is currently under development and where more than 3,000 new homes are planned over the next 15 years.
Speaking about the extra funds the Government Office has secured for Barnet, Transport Minister Tony McNulty said:
"This is great news for Barnet. Street lighting schemes mean safer roads for both drivers and pedestrians and will also help in the fight against crime.
"The Government is committed to improving safety on our roads and improving the lives of residents through greater personal security and a reduction in crime. This private finance initiative will bring real rewards to streets in both Boroughs and I'm delighted that the Department for Transport has been able to make the funding available."
Anthony Stubbs, Managing Director of WRTL, said:
“WRTL have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the London Borough of Barnet established more than 25 years ago. We are delighted to support them with this prestigious project and equally pleased that the residents are so happy with the solution provided.”
07 April 2009