WORK is under way on a £46m scheme to brighten up a borough.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has made a start on the programme to replace, upgrade and add to its street lighting over the next three years.

The phased project involves replacing more than 15,000 lamp columns - 85 per cent of the existing stock - with modern, highquality lights.

An additional 2,500 lamp columns will be installed during the scheme.

The council's cabinet member for highways, transportation and planning, Councillor Mary Lanigan, said: "We are delighted that the work has started so well, and residents can see an instant benefit."

Seventy-one streets in the Redcar area are the first to benefit, with 12 streets now brighter after 334 lighting columns were installed and 110 columns lit.

The selection of streets has been made by a council committee, which is meeting on a regular basis to monitor progress.

Plans will be displayed in libraries, and updates will be posted on the council's website.

The council has entered into a private finance initiative for the project with Redcar and Cleveland Lighting Services Limited.

David Webster Limited (DW), a lighting services provider based in Harlow, Essex, is contracted by Redcar and Cleveland Lighting Services to replace and maintain the lamp columns within the borough.

The project is a Governmentsupported scheme, with £21.1m from the Government, backed by a £1m-a-year maintenance commitment over the next 25 years from the council.

Simon Whitehouse, director of DW Projects, said: "This initial success has been achieved thanks to the mutual co-operation of all parties involved.

"We are committed to responding to our customer's needs both within the council and, equally as importantly, to the residents of Redcar and Cleveland, and are looking forward to demonstrating how successful this project can be."

For more information about the scheme, call the council's customer contact centre, on 08456- 126126.