Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to right sidebar Skip to footer

Enhancing Safety and Visibility in Our City: Street Lighting Initiative

Project Manager analysing street lighting in the City.

At the start of 2024, Chichester City Council reached out to over 13,000 residents within the Parish to understand what matters most to them. One of the top concerns was the need for streetlights on footpaths and twittens. This priority emerged as crucial for residents traveling through the city outside of daylight hours. Enhanced street lighting is essential for increasing visibility, ensuring safety, and making everyone feel comfortable, whether they are shift workers such as hospital and hospitality staff or individuals enjoying the city’s nightlife.

To gather specific feedback, The City Council distributed flyers with their Autumn Newsletter, requesting residents to identify areas that require improvement. To date, the City Council has received 167 responses, highlighting 50 sites that should be considered for new or improved street lighting. These sites will now be prioritised based on their importance and urgency. The Council continues to accept new suggestions, which can be submitted to darkspaces@chichestercity.gov.uk.

City Council Staff receiving a survey at The Council House.
Dark alleyway in the City Centre leading to a car park.

Recognising that some community members communicate more effectively in person, we will be organising pop-up sessions to boost engagement and ensure everyone’s voice is heard. These sessions offer residents the chance to share their concerns and suggestions directly with City Council representatives. For details on the timing and locations of these sessions, please visit our website at https://chichestercity.gov.uk/, or follow our social media channels for the latest updates.

The City Council’s Project Manager has been actively visiting some of the identified sites to assess their viability for new streetlights. During these visits, it was discovered that some areas already had street lighting, but the lights were broken. The Project Manager has notified West Sussex County Council so that they can repair the lamp posts promptly.

Project Manager analysing street lighting in the City.
Dark spot in the City Centre

Two pilot projects have already been initiated: one at the entrance to the Oxmarket and another along the New Park/Litten Gardens Cycle Path. These projects aim to test the effectiveness of the new lighting solutions and gather feedback from the community.

Outside the Ox Market in Chichester, the pathway is partially lit using street lighting.
Cycle path besides Litten Gardens.

Our goal is to create a safer and more welcoming environment for all residents and visitors. This project will explore various lighting solutions that minimise environmental impact by reducing effects on wildlife and ensuring new lighting is energy-efficient and, where possible, solar-powered. By addressing the need for improved street lighting, we are making a significant step towards enhancing the overall quality of life in our city. We encourage everyone to participate in this initiative and share their feedback to help us prioritise and implement the necessary improvements.

Together, we can make our city a brighter and safer place for everyone.

Skip to content