SECURITY in Westbrook and Old Hall has been boosted by a £30,750 investment towards new street lighting.

Last winter Clr Kevin Reynolds (LD–Whittle Hall) noticed that lamps on Old Hall Road, Twenty Acre Road and Westbrook Crescent had been damaged.

As a result there were reports from residents who did not feel safe walking in the area at night time.

Clr Reynolds said: “I saw that quite a few lamps had been smashed and others were facing in the wrong direction.

“I think it was a combination of criminal damage and general wear and tear while some of the lights had simply burned out.”

He raised the issue with Warrington Borough Council which in turn made a bid to secure extra funding from Salix Finance, a body that is paid for by the Government and supports energy efficiency projects in the public sector.

The council will pay the loan back over a five-year period with funds generated by saving on energy costs.

Clr Reynolds added: “I am delighted that people will benefit from the bid.

“Not only will the increased lighting boost safety and security and therefore public confidence, the lamps are also energy efficient and will drive down carbon emissions.”

Work has already begun to install 29 new lamps on Old Hall Road and over the next few weeks 37 will be placed on Twenty Acre Road and 54 on Westbrook Crescent.

Extra lights have also been earmarked for Franklin Close, Lander Close and Nansen Close. They replace lamps that were at least 25 years old.