A Lyneham country road is being illuminated thanks to the power of Mother Nature.
20 January 2007
Three street lights fitted with wind turbines and solar panels have been installed between Lyneham and the village of Bradenstoke. It is an example of how environmentally-friendly schemes can use less energy while solving practical problems.

The £11,000 project was suggested by the chairman of Lyneham and Bradenstoke Parish Council, Malcolm Petch. Mr Petch, 68, said: "I think they look striking, and it means that a previously dark stretch of highway is now well-lit. We were awarded a grant from North Wiltshire District Council (now called Wiltshire Council) and completed the project just before Christmas."

The scheme was needed to solve the problem of poor lighting on the country road. Mr Petch said: "The junction was thought to be unsafe for the elderly residents of Bradenstoke and we presented a village petition with over 100 names to Wiltshire County Council."

Mr Petch got the idea when he was flicking through a parish clerks' magazine. He said: "I saw something had been done in Somerset with these lights, and thought it might fit our situation." The lights, which sit on the junction of the B4069 and Bradenstoke Road, are the first environmentally friendly wind and solar powered street lights in the district. The lights feature renewable energy lighting units, which means that they can be used at almost any location remote from an electricity supply.

The units convert wind power into electrical energy, which is stored in the battery at the base of the column for use as required by the lamp. North Wiltshire District Council (now called Wiltshire Council) gave Lyneham Parish Council £4,345 towards the cost of the project, and the rest of the money was provided by the county council.

Mr Petch said: "The cost of using normal lighting would have been too expensive because the lights are some distance from a normal electricity supply. The community grant from North Wiltshire District Council has made the project a reality much quicker and has meant that we have not had to raise the parish precept to help pay for them."

The chairman of the Cricklade and Wootton Bassett area committee, Coun Mike Hatton, said: "This has been a great opportunity to support a community-led project that should help improve safety at this busy junction. This project is also unique as the parish council has come up with a solution that uses environmentally friendly lights, making the most of our natural resources."