The home site of the Round Hill Society, a community group of the residents of Round Hill in Brighton, England. The site contains information about the area, latest news and reflections on life in Round Hill.
Heritage versus Cost - give us light!
Residents in Richmond Road were surprised earlier this autumn when, following the failure of one of the street lamps, City Council workers arrived not to repair the light, but to remove the entire structure.
The cast iron column and its base were uprooted from the pavement, loaded on to the back of a truck and the gap in the pavement filled. This is the latest of Round Hill’s ornamented street lamps to disappear. In recent years, the iron cowls of two lights in the Cat’s Creep have been crudely replaced by grey plastic caps and in other parts of the district, notably Round Hill Crescent, modern black posts have gradually replaced the older models as the lamps have failed.
Given Round Hill’s status as a Conservation Area, it is surprising that there is not more effort to repair the
existing lamps. Although they are not original to the area, the iron lamp stands with their cursive brackets have become stylish, even iconic features of the streetscape of Round Hill.
The removal of the lamp in Richmond Road comes at a time when many local authorities in the UK are considering ways of reducing energy bills and limiting the environmental impact of widespread street lighting.
In a trial in West Sussex for example, lights will be automatically dimmed between midnight and 5am and if successful, the measures extended to 30,000 lamps.
There are clear benefits to be had but it seems that in Brighton and Hove, the council is already pursuing a more radical option!