Lights on or off at Laurence House?

Lewisham Council is doing a consultation on whether or not to turn off the floodlighting of Laurence House in Catford. This was prompted by a formal question from Brockley councillor Darren Johnson last year, who says it is a waste of energy and money. Darren argues that he doesn't oppose the floodlighting of beautiful landmark buildings, but that Laurence House Library is hardly the Arc de Triumphe. I tend to agree and think that if street lighting is doing its job, extra floodlighting isn't necessary. What do you think? You can complete the survey online here.

From the Council's press office:
Lewisham Council is asking residents for their views on the external lighting which is currently used to illuminate the 6-storey Council office block and library in Catford town centre.

Informal feedback has suggested that some people value the night-time lighting as it can create a sense of security, generate a positive local atmosphere and is a feature of the local area. However, there are costs involved. The lighting costs approximately £2,700 a year and produces an estimated 29 tonnes of CO2 a year, which contributes to global warming.

Cllr Heidi Alexander, Lewisham Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: "There's a choice to be made about lighting Laurence House at night and we want to hear people's views. I know that some people value the effect the lighting has on the local area after dark. But there is a cost involved, financially and environmentally, and as a Council we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to use energy efficiently and reduce unnecessary costs."

That said, while every little helps, it's kind of small fry in the bigger scheme of things, and we really need to get insulating every house in the borough which would save thousands of tonnes of CO2 a year as well as reducing the impact on residents of rising fuel bills.