Street lighting saga is an illuminating one

I WAS alarmed at the contents of the article on Battle lighting (Battle Observer, May 18).

I retired more than 30 years ago to the wonderful, friendly town of Battle.

Soon after arriving I got involved in many interesting club committees.

In due course I learned Battle was intending to take over the design and colour of its street lighting - this was a county responsibility with a technical lighting branch.

Being a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers with a knowledge of lighting, I enquired at county level what all this was about.

To my dismay, I was informed Battle would continue to pay its dues like all other towns in the county, but in addition would now pay for its own lighting costs - now I believe more than £20,000 in Battle local rates!

Even more perturbing it has taken the rest of the time to near completion.

We now learn that local councillors, who on the whole do good work but have no technical lighting back up, are now making costly rate proposals to apply switching off at night.

The AGM revealed residents were not in favour, nor police.

I do not believe the scientific coordinator can have read the history of Battle costly lighting.

I believe the whole exercise not to be in the interest of the many elderly independent people of Battle.

As a 95-year-old professional electrical engineer, I would like to see this matter dropped.

R J Mears

Glengorse, Battle