A COUNCILLOR claims residents are being left in the dark over controversial plans to switch off street lights.

Essex County Council announced last week it will be extending its part-night lighting scheme to Chelmsford and Braintree as part of its plans to cut carbon emissions and save £14million.

Under the proposals, street lights are switched off between midnight and 5am.

County councillor for Canvey East Dave Blackwell is calling for answers as the authority has yet to announce when it will be consulting residents in Castle Point over the plans.

This is despite more than 1,000 people in the borough signing a petition against the idea last year.

Mr Blackwell said: “I’ve had an awful lot of e-mails from people who work shifts or get back home late and are naturally really concerned about walking around when the area will be plunged into darkness.

“We are still waiting for a consultation to happen. It’s taking so long that rumours are even starting to circulate that the council will just push it through without consulting each borough. But the problem is every area in Essex is different.

Everyone is worried about this and they deserve to know what’s going on.”

Areas such as town centres, key road junctions and accident blackspots will be exempt from the proposal, but residents still fear travelling through unlit areas late at night.

Keith Barber, of Clinton Road, Canvey, said: “It is a frightening thing to be in pitch black and the use of the average torch does not help a great deal other than to provide a beacon for potential thugs. All night workers, including the emergency services, plus the teenagers venturing out to enjoy themselves and anyone with a family emergency who are forced to travel in the early hours, will be affected by this.”

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “Plans for consultation on the roll-out of partnight street-lighting in the remaining districts and boroughs in Essex will be announced shortly. No lights will be switched off before consultation has taken place with parish and town councils, district/ borough councils, county councillors and the emergency services. All consultees will be contacted directly once dates have been confirmed.”