THE streets of Braintree, Witham and the surrounding villages will be plunged into darkness after midnight in the new year as part of council plans to save on energy bills.
Essex County Council wants to turn off more than 9,150 of the 11,230 street lamps in the Braintree district between midnight and 5am, far more than proposed when the cash-saving scheme was first mooted six years ago.
But a six-week consultation into the plan started nearly two weeks ago, without the public's knowledge.
The county council only announced its consultation on its website when approached by the Chronicle, which was alerted by shocked parish leaders.
Even Rivenhall's Councillor James Abbott, a Green Party supporter of Dark Skies, the campaign against light pollution, was shocked by the extent of the proposals and the delay in informing the public.
Braintree MP Brooks Newmark said: "My concern is security issues and that dark areas create areas of crime or fear of crime, particularly for young women.
"Young women don't want to be nervous that someone will jump out at them when they're walking at night.
"I understand the whole concept but I'm sure they can have their cake and eat it – save energy and not increase the fear of crime.
"They should perhaps only turn every other light off.
"If my Christmas tree can flash then I'm sure they have the technology to figure something out."
The council believes that switching off street lights across the county would help it save around £900,000 a year in energy costs, after successful trials in Maldon and the Uttlesford district saved 20 per cent on bills.
But there are fears that the move could lead to an increase in crime and accidents.
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