ESSEX Highways chief Rodney Bass has dismissed plans by an Essex council to pay £121,000 to keep streetlights in its area on all night.

It comes less than 24 hours after leading Colchester councillors agreed to begin negotiations with Essex County Council with a view to paying up to £185,000 to have the lights kept on across the borough. 

In a letter earlier this month, the Labour-run Harlow Council had offered compensate County Hall for ditching part-night lighting in the west Essex authority.

But this afternoon, Conservative Mr Bass dismissed the “bizarre” offer.

He wrote: “While we understand you specifically addressed in your budget debate this somewhat bizarre financial proposal, we are sorry you have been unable to offer any substantive justification for this arrangement other than that it is the opinion of your ruling Labour Group.”

Mr Bass told Harlow Council leader Jon Clempner there was “no sensible rationale” for the change in stance.

He also said there is no evidence of an increase in crime of road traffic accidents which could be attributed to part-night lighting.

He added: “Accordingly, Essex County Council is not willing to even agree to the principle of your proposal at this particular time.”

Mr Bass also outlined plans to “look more actively” at LED lighting in the next year.

He added: “Only then might we be in a position to have a meaningful discussion about ownership and management of the different classes of streetlights.”

A statement from Essex County Council’s Labour Group hit out at Mr Bass, saying he had “politicised what is a crucial issue for many residents across the county”.

It added: “The decision today is a real put down for residents who have raised genuine concerns over the fear of crime in their neighbourhood and it is a blow to the democratic decisions made not just by Harlow Council in recent weeks, but also by Colchester Council, Tendering Council and Brentwood Council who have all passed measures at their budget meetings to look at reversing this disastrous policy.

“The Tories like to talk localism, but when it comes to local decisions made in the interest of local people, they prefer to dictate policy down and ignore the concerns that many people have made since the introduction of part night lighting in Essex.”

The statement continued: “[Part-night lighting] was imposed upon residents without public consultation and the council have already admitted that no individual risk assessments were carried out in districts prior to the policy being introduced.

“[The council’s] own reports show they have failed to meet their annual targets on ensuring that residents in Essex feel safe after dark.

“To make matters worse, Mr Bass appears in his response to want to politicise what is a crucial issue for many residents across the county.”