LLANIDLOES residents are “risking their limbs” by going out at night with a “vast” amount of the town’s street lights not working, a local councillor has warned.

Cllr Gareth Morgan has pleaded with Powys County Council to take action in the town, claiming that the council’s decision not to carry out repairs or maintenance to lights before lights in areas are converted to LED lights is putting people in Llanidloes in danger.

With the council carrying out a programme of street lighting replacement to LED lights, Cllr Morgan hit out at the decision to make the changes during the winter and to stall on repairing lights until the replacement work is completed.

In an email to Cllr John Brunt, the council’s Cabinet member for highways, Cllr Morgan said: “I am very distressed by your decision to convert street lighting to LED in the winter.

"Vast numbers of lights are waiting to be repaired in my ward, resulting in some areas being left in total darkness through the winter.

“Why on earth this job was scheduled for the winter I will never understand. Surely common sense would have dictated that it should be undertaken in the summer?

“Is there a hope that you can reconsider this decision please? My constituents are risking their limbs every night they go out.”

Cllr Brunt said the LED light replacement was expected to be finished by March and would save the council money, but insisted that repairs to lights that aren’t working would still be carried out if there are safety needs.

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