QUESTIONS about street lights, air pollution and illuminating the town's water tower were on residents’ minds as councillors were quizzed just weeks before local elections commence.

About 20 members of the public piled into the Cardinal Bourne Hall in Priory Street on Friday afternoon for the hustings event.

Councillors Mark Goacher (Green), Rosalind Scott (Lab), Pauline Hazel (Con), Town Mayor Gerard Oxford (Ind) and Paul Smith (Lib Dem) were grilled by members of the Colchester Pensioners Action Group in advance of the May elections.

Brian Light, chairman of the Balkerne Tower Trust, asked for councillors to consider more lighting across the town to illuminate specific parts like the Jumbo Water Tower and the Town Hall on the High Street.

He said: "We need more lighting in Colchester to light up buildings," he said.

"It's important that we light up the town."

Pauline Hazel said responded: "We can work with these ideas and I think it can be a good focal point for our town.

"I cant see in any way that not being done.

Resident Tim Oxdon raised his concerns over the amount of time street lights should be on in the town.

He felt like that it wasn't appropriate for them to be on constantly.

“Is it your personal feeling that street lights should be on all night?" He asked Rosalind Scott.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: Thoughtful - one of the audience listens to the answers being given

"I certainly do not agree with them being on all night.

"My house is illuminated all night long.”

Rosalind Scott responded but said a balance between the amount of light pollution and safety of residents must be taken into consideration.

Mark Goacher added "I don’t see why the street lights have to be on all of the time."

Contrastingly, Gerard Oxford believes that parts of his ward should be lit up 24 hours a day.

“We’ve got people working in the Highwoods Tesco who are finishing in the early hours of the morning," he said.

“Parts of the business park - some of those roads should be lit up too."

Finally, air pollution was a big concern across attendees as last year reports revealed parts of St John’s Street and East Street have the highest level of pollution across the town.

Roy Langley said: "Why don't we make the buses in the town hybrid?

"When the buses are in the town they can use electric and and when they're out of the town they can run on diesel.

"What are you to do about it?"

Councillor Hazel said: "Going forward we need to have cleaner air across the borough and we would like to see hopper buses around the town."