SURREY County Council is poised for the great December street lights switch-off, just as towns and villages celebrate their Christmas illuminations.

The council’s cabinet approved cost-cutting plans to switch off 44,000 street lights across Surrey from midnight to 5am, last month, and the first phase of the controversial project is set to be rolled-out.

The council’s list of the roads affected, reveals that more than 35 residential roads in Haslemere, ranging from short hops, such as Bartholomew Close and Fir Tree Avenue, to longer spans, such as Farnham Lane, Scotland Lane and Lion Lane, will lose their street lighting. The blackout also includes town centre streets, such as Bridge Road, and extends to Pathfields Townpath and The Spinney Townpath.

It is understood around 30,000 lights in Waverley, Guildford and Surrey Heath boroughs will be turned off, with a further 14,000 in the rest of the county to follow in January and February.

The so-called part night lighting programme has been criticised by the Lib Dem opposition, which has accused the Tories of undertaking the decision without consulting the residents affected, as well as jeopardising public safety.

But justifying its decision, the county said turning off street lights in residential areas would save it around £210,000 per annum and reduce the council’s carbon dioxide footprint. Lights will not be switched off in roads where Surrey Police raised concerns about the potential effect on crime, nor will they be switched off on busy roads.

Asked why streetlights could not be dimmed rather than go dark and why they could not be converted to LED, which uses less energy, Surrey County Council said: “The vast majority of the lights are dimmed from 11pm to 5.30am each night. Lights in residential areas are dimmed by 50 per cent power and those on traffic routes by 25 per cent.

“The council has carried out tests by dimming lights by more than 50 per cent and found they do not function properly and start flickering.”

The spokesman added when Surrey’s street lighting contract was awarded in 2009, LED technology was not proven on street lights so the council invested in a central management system.

Although LED lights could reduce energy consumption by up to two-thirds, the cost of replacing the seven-year-old system is the equivalent of Surrey’s lighting bill for the next decade.

But if the cost comes down, it would be considered, he added.