Lighting along Ipswich Waterfront has had a £129,000 upgrade thanks to a £2 million investment fund.
The work in Albion Wharf has seen 25 new low energy LED lanterns installed between Neptune Marina apartments and Anchor Street apartments.
The LED lanterns can be remotely monitored and controlled by Suffolk County Council’s central management system, being dimmed at pre-determined times to maximise energy savings whilst ensuring the right light is in the right place and at the right times.
The columns have a 25-year design life and have been made possible through the Ipswich Investment Fund, which was established following recommendations from the Ipswich Policy Development Panel (PDP).
The Ipswich Investment Fund was granted by Suffolk County Council and is a £2 million pot to support projects across the borough.
It focuses on boosting employment, arts/culture, and sustainable travel, with the first project being the waterfront streetlighting upgrades.
Ownership of this area consisted of multiple organisations including the county council, Ipswich Borough Council, the University of Suffolk, and Associated British Ports.
All organisations worked closely together to enable the project to progress.
Streetlights owned by the borough council were already present for part of the route and the additional new lighting in Albion Wharf means it is now present from Dance East to Patteson Road, a distance of 0.7 miles.
Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council Cabinet member for Ipswich, Operational Highways and Flooding, said: “I am very pleased that we have completed the first project to benefit through our Ipswich Investment Fund.
“This is an area of town used by many residents and visitors, so it was important that a high standard of streetlighting was installed.
“One recommendation from the joint Policy Development Panel was to identify ways to improve the look and feel of neighbourhoods and the town centre through better street-lighting, so I am glad we have been able to do this in such a high-profile area.”
The lighting columns, finished in black, match those installed within the town centre.
They are hinged to allow future maintenance without the need for cherry pickers and are installed in retention sockets to enable quick removal and installation.
The installation work involved approximately 500m of trenching, often in concrete, and associated underground cabling.
