Solar lights trial to boost Shrewsbury river safety

Trials are under way in the heart of the town with lighting 'columns' installed close to Kingsland Bridge.

On loan from OG2 Lighting, the solar lights are powered by batteries which harness sunlight during the day.

Tests are currently being carried out to see how the tree canopy and sap could affect the output.

If the trial is successful, the plan is to install up to 20 lights along the footpath from Kingsland Bridge to Greyfriars Bridge.

The lights would be operated on a PIR system, illuminating when a person comes near and switching off after a set time.

Stuart Farmer, project manager at Shrewsbury Town Council, said the lights were being trialled with a view to being installed in a bid to provide better lighting for those people attending events at the Quarry and to improve safety for joggers, cyclists and late night walkers.

He said: "The lights, if we chose to use them, will cost approximately £1,000 each column. That is around the same for a new standard street light. However, it would also cost us around £500,000 to install new electric cabling to traditional lights.

"At present we are trialling the technology, to see how it copes with the tree canopies and any sap that falls to the ground.

"We need to make sure it is gets enough light to charge the batteries during the day. This is an open-ended trial.

Illuminate

"The lights will use a PIR system and there will always be a constant light between Kingsland Bridge and Greyfriars Bridge.

"We have been asked to look at this type of system by several people. There are a lot more events in the Quarry and we just want to be able to light it up a bit more. It will help to make it safer for people.

"If we had used traditional street lights, they would have cost us around £1,000 each, much the same as these solar lights. However, to get electricity to them would have cost an additional £500,000. So with the solar lights scheme we can just put them in and take it from there."

Using this system it is estimated that the lamp would illuminate fully for 17 days from a full charge. A full charge is approx 10 hours trickle charge from an average amount of daylight.

Once the trial is complete, the scheme will have to go before Shrewsbury Town Council and a number of committees before a decision can be made. The contract for works will then be put out to tender.

"This is not going to be a five-minute solution," said Mr Farmer.

Safety along the River Severn has been a high profile subject with a number of deaths in recent months.