LED Conversion Project

What we are doing

We are upgrading street lighting across West Sussex by replacing all remaining West Sussex County Council owned streetlights that are not yet LED.

This includes approximately 65,250 lanterns.

Streetlights before and afterThe implementation will begin in the area where street lighting uses the most energy and then will move through the county to ensure efficient future maintenance.

How the upgrade works

We will replace the lanterns - the light‑producing units at the top of the existing columns. Each road will be assessed to ensure lighting is energy‑efficient and provides the right level of visibility for all road users.

In a small number of locations, we may need to reposition columns or install new ones to maintain safe and effective lighting.

Introducing smarter lighting controls

As part of the upgrade, each new LED lantern will be fitted with a Central Monitoring System (CMS) control node. This replaces the current sensor that switches lights on and off based on daylight levels.

These new nodes connect to a central management platform, allowing us to:

• Control and monitor lights remotely
• Improve fault detection and response times
• Optimise energy use across the network

This combination of LED lighting and smart controls will help us reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and maintain a reliable street lighting service for residents.

Programme delivery and progress

The project is divided into six monthly periods. You can view these geographically on the following map:

• Map of LED Delivery Areas

The delivery areas can been seen in more detail in the document below. It outlines the number of units in each area and will be updated every few months to show our progress.

• LED Delivery Programme

Why we are doing this work

Reducing energy use and carbon emissions

Streetlights are the third largest source of energy use and carbon emissions for West Sussex County Council. Converting the remaining lights to LED will significantly cut both electricity consumption and carbon output, supporting our commitment to become a carbon‑neutral organisation by 2030.

LED lanterns use far less electricity; typically, at least 50% less than conventional lighting, whilst complying to the current national lighting standards. This lower energy demand will reduce our revenue costs and make a substantial contribution to our carbon‑saving targets.

Responding to rising costs

Energy prices have increased sharply in recent years, and maintaining older lighting technology is becoming progressively more expensive. At the same time, LED equipment has become the industry standard. As a result, LED lanterns are now cheaper to purchase, more reliable, and more efficient than the traditional units they replace.

Lower maintenance and less disruption

LED lanterns last much longer and require fewer routine maintenance visits. This means:

• Fewer trips to site and less disruption on the highway
• Reduced need for traffic management, lowering costs and minimising delays
• More consistent lighting due to improved optical control, ensuring light is directed where it’s needed

A long‑term, cost‑effective investment

The combined benefits of lower energy use, reduced maintenance, and smarter monitoring mean that West Sussex County Council expects to recover the cost of the LED conversion programme within 13 years.

Background

Private Finance Initiative

In April 2010, West Sussex County Council entered into a 25‑year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract for street lighting with Tay Valley Lighting and its operating subcontractor, Enerveo.

At the time, much of the county’s street lighting stock was ageing and required major investment to ensure we could continue providing a safe, sustainable and efficient lighting system. The aims of the PFI were to:

• Replace most ageing street lights, illuminated signs and bollards within the first five years
• Deliver economic benefits by designing roads to the latest lighting standards
• Reduce unnecessary equipment where possible

Why LEDs weren’t originally used

When the PFI began in 2010, LED street lighting was neither cost‑effective nor proven to be reliable. Like many other local authorities, WSCC selected the most efficient and dependable lanterns available at the time, which still provided around 25% energy savings compared with older equipment.

Since then, lighting technology has advanced considerably. LEDs are now:

• More affordable
• Fully proven in reliability and performance
• Capable of delivering the same lighting levels while using significantly less energy
• Much longer‑lasting, avoiding the need for lamp changes every four years

Rising energy costs and the increasing need to reduce environmental impacts have made the transition to LED lighting both viable and necessary.

LEDs already in use

Around 2,200 LED lanterns are already operating across West Sussex. Much of the South Downs National Park has been upgraded to support its Dark-Sky Policy Plan, helping to reduce light pollution while maintaining safe lighting levels. These installations have performed well, with no reported issues or maintenance concerns being raised.

Alternative formats and accessibility

If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please contact us via email at streetlighting@westsussex.gov.uk (external link) or by telephone on 01243 777 100 and we will do our best to assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an NGT texting app installed on your computer, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 01243 777 100.

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