Thank you for your petition. The conversion of our existing lights to this modern technology forms part of Hertfordshire County Council's on-going commitment to maintain and improve roads across the county and benefit all road users. The new white light LEDs (light emitting diodes) with Central Managed System (CMS) control have many advantages over the conventional streetlights used currently. They use much less energy, improve visibility and can be controlled and monitored centrally, which reduces costs. This type of technology has only recently become affordable, so we are taking full advantage of lower prices now in order to upgrade lights on our busiest roads. The change will also have a significant impact on CO2 emissions, helping to cut the county council's carbon tax commitment, as well as reducing light pollution. The light is a different quality than the old lights and is designed to light the road and footpath only. This minimises light pollution by directing the light to the specific areas where it is needed. There may be a perception that it is brighter because it is a different colour, but this is not the case. We are using a warm, less harsh type of LED white light. The County Council have received reports from local residents and businesses regarding the perception of glare and where these instances have been investigated and confirmed, we have fitted shields to reduce the impact of glare. To date around 8 shields have been fitted in Three Rivers District and around 100 shields in total have been fitted across Hertfordshire. The CMS system allows for light levels to be reduced at night too, so between 11pm to 6am the level of light will be reduced by up to 25 per cent. The County Council have also approved to undertake pilot projects on the A-roads involving part night lighting and additional dimming (reduced lighting levels) & trimming (reduced lighting periods). These pilots continue to be developed in readiness for a start in Winter 2015/16. With regard to the health risk associated with this type of LED lighting, we have undertaken a Health Assessment and there are no known health issues associated with the LED units we are using. LED is a low energy light source which has been used successfully and safely in public lighting for several years. For general information and frequently asked questions, visit www.hertsdirect.org/streetlights.