Southampton is a 24 hour city. We have a major port. We have a logistics sector that runs through the night. We have a teaching hospital that never closes. Thousands of people travel at night because the city depends on them. Port workers. NHS staff. Carers. Delivery drivers. Students. Residents walking home. People going to early shifts. People finishing late ones.

Part night lighting in Southampton began in December 2022 between 1am and 4am. In December 2023 the policy was expanded to 1am to 5.30am and applied across the city. This was a budget decision. It was not a technical requirement. The council’s own documents confirm this. The PFI contract requires the lighting system to be maintained and operated to a high standard. The infrastructure is already in place. The capability is already there. The switch off was a choice.

Southampton is now one of only two self controlled unitary cities in the country to adopt this policy. The only other is Coventry. Most councils that tried part night lighting a decade ago have since reversed it or reduced it. Southampton is moving in the opposite direction at a time when the city’s night time economy and essential services depend on safe and reliable lighting.

The council some exemptions. most notably 'Safe routes home'. This exemptions shows that lighting is essential for safety and movement at night. They also show that Southampton is recognised as a city that functions around the clock. But the residential streets, the front doors that the City's residents need to reach are left unlit.

Local estimates suggest it would cost around £120,000 per year to restore lighting. This is a very small amount in the context of the council’s overall budget. It is a small cost compared to the impact on safety, accessibility and confidence in the city.

We are asking Southampton City Council to do the following.

Restore full streetlighting across the city. Publish the verified annual cost of turning the lights back on. Recognise that Southampton is a 24 hour city and that lighting is essential for the people who keep it running. Put public safety and accessibility first.

Southampton deserves better than dark streets. A 24 hour city needs lighting that reflects the reality of how people live and work. It is time to turn the lights back on.