Our campaign to keep Chiswick's streets well-lit began in 2018 when Hounslow's Labour council announced it would be reducing lighting levels and the hours during which the street lights are on - known as dimming and trimming. The council reduced them again and lighting levels are now 45 per cent lower overall.
At the first public meeting we organised on crime and policing in Chiswick, the then borough commander said he had looked round the area before the meeting and noticed street lighting was low. He stressed that good street lighting is a known deterrent to crime. We didn't need to be told but it was useful to have it confirmed. Cllr Joanna Biddolph and her Conservative colleagues have been campaigning for better street lighting for as long as anyone can remember.
Residents do not feel safe walking home at night in the dark; badly lit streets discourage people from going out in the evening to eat or drink in our local bars, cafes and restaurants; low lighting makes it harder to walk along uneven pavements and councillors hear often from residents how have tripped, unable to see clearly as they walk. Everyone knows better street lighting is essential for safety, to deter crime and for the success of our town.
Petitions
22nd January 2025: Keep our streets lights on in the London Borough of Hounslow: We presented out Change.org petition, which reached 1,116 signatures in xx weeks, to the borough council meeting of
Media coverage
Exeter, Devon: The Devon experiment that could plunge Britain into darkness: Lauren Shirreff, The Telegraph, 12th April 2026
