A Midland company has been selected to supply thousands of street lights for the £2.7 billion Birmingham highways maintenance scheme.

Tipton-based Indal WRTL will supply LED street lighting– the first time a private finance initiative (PFI) has chosen such lighting as its main residential light source.

The move is part of Birmingham City Council’s plans to replace almost its entire street lighting stock through the giant contract with Amey, running over the next 25 years.

Anthony Stubbs, Indal WRTL Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to be part of what can only be described as the most significant event in the recent history of street lighting. This project signifies the epic transformation of our industry and a monumental revolution in lighting solutions.”

During the first five years approximately 50 per cent of the street lights will be replaced, with all residential areas incorporating fully remote-controllable LED lighting.

The remainder of the lighting will be replaced or upgraded throughout the contract period, with Amey expecting to keep Birmingham at the forefront of lighting technology.

The city currently has more than 95,000 street lights, which are primarily high pressure sodium, mercury vapour and low pressure sodium. There are also a small number of metal halide and fluorescent light sources.

Mr Stubbs said the adoption of LED as the standard across the PFI is a clear signal that traditional discharge lighting has been replaced by a solution with better performance, energy savings and value for money.

With the roll-out of the LED street lights, Birmingham’s entire lighting system will be remotely controlled and managed, allowing for switching or dimming on demand, rather than with timers.

The system will also enable varying lighting levels to match traffic conditions. If needed, light levels can be raised above normal to respond to an accident or major event.

Amey project director Mike Notman said: “Amey is working closely with Indal WRTL and Birmingham City Council to deliver an innovative lighting solution that will halve the energy consumption for street lighting and help Birmingham City Council meet its carbon reduction target.”

The PFI contract gives Amey responsibility for improving and maintaining 2,500 km of road network, nearly 100,000 street lights and more than 850 highway structures and bridges.