Friedrichsthal: Residents should pay for LED street lighting!

Friedrichsthal: Residents should pay for LED street lighting!

There is currently a heated discussion in the Friedrichsthal city council about residents' contribution to the costs of the planned renovation of sidewalks and streets. The focus is on Lenaustraße in Bildstock, where new LED lamps are to be installed as part of the fiber optic expansion. Energis GmbH has suggested three renovation options to the city, the most likely of which involves a cost of 3,360 euros.

The concept of the road expansion contribution statute (Strabs) stipulates that the costs are borne equally by the city and the affected residents. This means that each owner would have to pay between 160 and 180 euros once. However, at this meeting only a small group of council members recognized that the strabs also apply to the new installation or renewal of lighting. What is interesting is that the Strabs in Friedrichsthal has never been used since its introduction in June 1994.

Context of the discussion

The urgent need for new lighting cannot be denied, especially because around a third of the street lighting in Friedrichsthal has already been converted to modern LED technology. The advantages of this technology are numerous: it is energy efficient, durable and environmentally friendly. According to a recent report, LED technology represents the gold standard in street lighting as it significantly reduces energy consumption compared to traditional incandescent or fluorescent lamps and therefore also minimizes CO2 emissions.

Even more developments in LED technology are expected in 2024, including intelligent features for real-time lighting monitoring. These advances allow lighting levels to be adjusted depending on traffic volume, improving public safety in high-risk areas and reducing light pollution.

Political positions and reactions

The CDU parliamentary group had already submitted a motion to delete the Strabs in April 2024, which was approved by the council majority in May 2024. However, the implementation of the decision is still pending as the administration has submitted it to the State Administration Office for review. Daniel Jung from the CDU spoke out against any additional burden on residents and referred to the free switch to LED lamps in other places in the city.

Mayor Christian Jung (SPD) pointed out that there is “no equality in injustice” and that Strabs might have had to be called upon in the past. Nadine Klein from Citizens for Friedrichsthal saw the discussion as a potential precedent and called on the city to cover the costs of the lighting.

The city council finally decided to instruct the administration to establish direct contact with the citizens of Lenaustraße and ask whether they would be willing to cover the costs.

These developments make it clear that the implementation of LEDs in Friedrichsthal represents a step towards modern and sustainable street lighting, while the financial participation of residents remains a controversial issue. In order to fully exploit the advantages of LED lighting and at the same time relieve the burden on residents, a thorough consideration of political decisions may be necessary.