THE county council looks set to press ahead with plans to turn off street lights late at night despite lingering fears it could create an intimidating atmosphere and increase crime.

Essex County Council has been trialling the money-saving scheme in Maldon and Uttlesford for the past two years and believes the results from that experiment are encouraging enough to expand things countywide.

Loughton county councillor Chris Pond chaired the Safer and Stronger Communities Policy and Scrutiny committee which looked into the scheme.

He said: “We did have a number of residents who told us crime had increased in the dark following the mandatory switch off, but Essex Police themselves gave evidence and said crime since midnight had actually fallen.

“I think people have a very legitimate fear of the dark but the committee's findings don't show an increase in crime if there is a reduced level of lighting. The residents of Theydon Bois have never had street lighting. I don't think the crimes there are disproportionate.”

Mr Pond said consultation would take place with parish councils over roads which could possibly be exempt from the scheme and recent improvements in technology allowed officers to control which individual streets could have lights left on.

Daniel Brett, 34, of Hillyfields, in Loughton, started a local campaign against the proposal last year having experienced the switch off from when he used to live in Uttlesford.

He said: “This area has a high level of burglary. They say it doesn't make a difference but there will be a perceived difference. People will buy 1000 watt security lights.

“We are right on the edge of London and it doesn't make sense. Maybe in a small village you don't have the same issues. We have a border with Waltham Forest- would residents in Walthamstow be happy to have their lights switched off at midnight? I don't think so. They would be frightened and so will people here.”

Epping county councillor Janet Whitehouse said the scheme would be rolled out over the next five years.

She added: “I am pleased my request for the later lighting of pedestrian routes from stations which have trains arriving after mid-night was accepted.”