SOME streets in Wiltshire are set to be plunged into darkness in the early mornings as part of the council’s latest attempts to save money.

This and other measures have been revealed as part of discussions over the council’s next budget.

A meeting is set to take place at the Guildhall today where the council will address residents on the 100 areas where they are identifying savings to be made.

One of the most controversial aspects will be the decision to switch off some street lights between midnight and 5.30am.

Yet Wiltshire Cllr Dick Tonge, cabinet minister for finance, moved to calm fears that any city centre lights would be switched off.

He said: “It is something we have started to do over the last few years, but we are not going to turn them off at roundabouts or footpaths.

“We have some roads that have lights blazing all night when very few cars use them.

“The other thing is we have a wireless system which allows the emergency services to switch them back on remotely if an accident occurs. It is quite sophisticated.”

It was an issue that caused a mixed reaction in nearby Verwood when the policy was implemented by Dorset County Council in 2013.

Another area that is set to face cutbacks is the opening times for household recycling centres with the council saying they are looking to protect core services such as adult and social care.

“If you owned a pub and nobody came in from eight in the morning to midday then you wouldn’t be open at those times,” Mr Tonge added.

“It is the same with our services, we are analysing when we need to be open.”

As part of the budget residents will also be charged for using green bins with the council planning to charge £40 a year for the service. This is despite huge opposition to the plan in the recent consultation that was carried out. 

The budget will be decided at the full council meeting on February 24.

A corporate director for Wiltshire Council said it is working more efficiently since its management team was halved.

Last year the council saved £25million, partly by cutting its managers by 50 per cent and reducing staff overall by 12 per cent.

Leader of Wiltshire Council Jane Scott also made a plea to residents to be patient if phone calls took a while to be answered.

“In the last four to five years we have had to get rid of 800 staff members,” she said. “We’re putting money into frontline services rather than answering phones. Please bear with us.”

The council also saved money by sharing buildings with Wiltshire Police, something that could be extended to healthcare in the future.

Despite council tax being frozen for the past four years the council have refused to rule out further increases in the future.

Cllr Scott said: “Our economy works on small and medium-sized enterprises. Council tax was one way of helping them through these difficult times.

“We are getting to the point where we cannot continue with that, so I think we will increase council tax in the future.”

The meeting at the Guildhall is taking place at 5.30pm tomorrow (February 5) and anybody wishing to attend should email sharonl.smith@ wiltshire.gov.uk.