Adam GrettonA south Norfolk town could be left further in the dark after local councillors refused to rule out switching off hundreds of its own street lights at night time.Adam Gretton

A south Norfolk town could be left further in the dark after local councillors refused to rule out switching off hundreds of its own street lights at night time.

Councillors at Redenhall with Harleston Town Council have supported county council plans to turn off thousands of lights in Norfolk, which would save money and cut carbon emissions.

Norfolk County Council wants to switch off 47 street lights in the market town between midnight and 5am as part of a scheme to turn off 27,000 units across the county and save �167,000 a year.

Members of the town council, which maintains a further 400 lights in Harleston and Redenhall, is monitoring the situation closely to see if it can follow suit.

Sue Kuzmic , chairman of Redenhall with Harleston Town Council, said the town council owned 95pc of the lights in the area and was spending a 'huge' amount of money - �40,000 a year - to keep its own lights working.

She added that local members were generally supportive of Norfolk County Council's proposals, although the names of the roads and streets affected had not been given to the town council.

'We are keeping that option open to us and may wish to follow the same route in the future. It would be good to get some feedback from the county council to see what happens and what issues come up.

'It has caused a great financial burden for the town council to maintain its lights,' she said.

Mrs Kuzmic added that the town council was writing to County Hall to urge the local authority use lower wattage bulbs in their new lights, which were 'too bright'.

'We are pleased that the county is trying to tackle a global issue. Personally I hope it is more for those reasons than saving a penny or two. It is their policy not to turn off town centre lights and main roads and we hope they will follow that policy in Harleston,' she said.

A county council list obtained by the EDP suggests that lights in School Lane, Broad Street, Church Street, London Road, Redenhall Road, Market Place, and The Thoroughfare could be switched off at night from 2011/12 or 2012/13. A decision is set to be made on January 25.