On my way home from a particularly messy night at Timepiece I found myself in a Vodka-infused trance, gazing up at the stars, contemplating whether the burger and chips I’d just eaten were enough to stop me vomming all over the kitchen (turns out they weren’t). What I definitely wasn’t thinking was whether the light pollution from the streetlight I was under was ruining my view.
However this is what Exeter City Council seems to think I worry about on my way home. They’re proposing big changes to the way streetlights are run across the city, namely turning them off in residential areas between 12:30am and 5:30am. If you’re questioning why you should care about the lights going off, think again. If you’re anything like me and my friends, at some point during your time in Exeter you have found yourself in a situation when you’re either having a rubbish night and want to go home, have fallen out with your friends or been abandoned and have to get home on your own. Now we all know the sensible option is to pay out and get a taxi. The sober me would never consider walking home on my own in the dark in high heels, but after a few drinks? More times than I would care to admit I have adamantly decided that I simply must walk home alone. Getting a taxi would mean sacrificing money I could spend on cheesy chips or not sobering up on the walk home. I’d miss out on picturing myself in a film, walking home as I dramatically consider whether I actually do like my flatmate; in my head I’m a cross between Emma Watson and Audrey Hepburn, in reality I look like a drunken Bridget Jones.
However faulty my decision making process is, the fact remains that many girls do decide to walk home on their own after a night out. And nine times out of ten they do so safely. Exeter isn’t a city renowned for crime, it is relatively safe, student housing isn’t too far from the city centre, street lighting is good and it’s on all night. For now. The council’s plan would mean that most residential areas would have no street lights on for a large proportion of the night; the part of the night when most students are walking home.
The council are proposing this as part of their effort to reduce their carbon emissions and in an attempt to cut costs. Currently, Devon County Council spends £3.4 million every year on electricity for street lights and the lights produce 20,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Obviously the need to be greener and more energy efficient is important, but is it more important than safety? The other argument the council has offered, besides making it easier for star-gazers, is that street lights are an irritant for the residents who have to live next to them. As someone whose bedroom is directly behind a street light at home, I agree that the light can be annoying. However I also love living by a street light. I like the fact that when I get home at night I feel safe, that I can see to find my keys buried at the bottom of my bag.
Street lights make me and many others feel safe when they walk home. Surely that is worth the money? Surely there are more creative ways the Council can reduce their emissions; energy efficient light bulbs for instance. The safety of both students and residents of Exeter is just as important as the city’s environmental conscience; it’s time we let the council know that too.