Bury Council Considers Dimming Streetlights and Car Park Charges to Address Budget Shortfall

Streetlights within a borough may be reduced in brightness by 50% as part of an initiative by the council to reduce expenditures. This proposal suggests that certain lights throughout Bury would operate at a lower intensity between 00:00 and 06:00 to achieve savings on energy expenses. This measure is one of several budget-saving proposals presented to Bury Council as the governing body seeks to address a £35 million budget deficit projected over the coming three years. Additional measures involve an examination of introducing a consistent £2 fee at the 40 car parks currently offered free of charge by the council. This review will assess the feasibility of implementing charges at locations within the towns of Prestwich, Radcliffe, Whitefield, Tottington, and Ramsbottom, ensuring it does not impact the “vibrancy” of each town. As of now, councillors have not reached an agreement on either of these suggestions, which are scheduled for presentation to the authority’s Labour leadership during a meeting next week, coinciding with the commencement of budget setting for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Further proposals include the elimination of certain senior positions within the authority via redundancy and early retirement, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The understanding is that the district car parking review will only seek to implement fees in locations deemed “commercially viable”. This initiative is projected to yield approximately £126,000 in revenue, whereas reducing streetlight illumination is estimated to save around £209,000 annually in energy expenditures. These budget-saving initiatives emerge as financial leaders at Bury’s town hall have cautioned that difficult choices will be necessary during the commencement of the 2025/26 budget-setting process. The council has previously identified a substantial budget deficit totaling £35 million spanning the three-year period leading up to 2028. The authority has stated that potential savings amounting to £9.4 million have been identified, with additional measures expected to narrow the outstanding gap to approximately £22 million.