WORK to bring energy-saving LED streetlights to mid-Essex will begin later this year, Essex County Council has announced.

The first phase of the project will see about 5,800 state-of-the- art streetlights replacing lights in Castle Point, Rochford and Basildon.

Phase two, beginning later this year will see 2,300 built in Chelmsford and 802 in Uttlesford.

Essex County Council says the changes which will be made to all-night street lights across the county, but the replacement scheme will only apply to those lights which currently remain on throughout the night.

The LED lights will not replace the ones used by the authority’s part-night lighting scheme.

This was rolled out across the county in 2013 and 2014, claiming it would save £1million per year by turning the majority of lights off between midnight and 5am.

It has since revised the policy, with all lights now remaining switched on for an extra hour, until 1am, six nights per week.

The new longer-lasting lamps require less maintenance and use less electricity.

County Hall says it is starting a programme to replace 9,000 existing lamps across the county later this month.

The work is part of a two-year project to replace 19,000 street lights with LED units and amounts to about 14 per cent of lights across the county.

Eddie Johnson, councillor responsible for Highways and Transport, says the scheme will save about £600,000-a-year on energy and maintenance costs, as well as carbon taxes, once the pro gramme is completed.

He said: “We are focusing this rollout on street lighting that currently remains on throughout the night to ensure the largest and quickest financial return for the taxpayer.

“LED street lights cost less to run, require less maintenance and create a brighter light on the highway.

“A significant proportion of this scheme has been forward-funded through an interest-free Government loan as recognition of the environmental and financial benefits of this project.”

Each new LED lighting unit is installed with a remote-monitoring “telecell” which connects the street light electronically.

Engineers can then see if any of the LEDs are faulty, as well as control the timings and brightness to suit each road.