LANCASHIRE has been singled out for its contribution to preventing global warming through its low energy street-lighting.

The government has singled out the county for praise and used it as an example of how to beat global warming at the recent Climate Change convention held at the Hague in Holland.

Lancashire County Council is the only authority in the country to have gained an Energy Efficiency Accreditation Award, which is the national benchmark in energy efficiency.

County Councillor Richard Toon, chairman of the county council's highways committee, said energy efficiency was part of the council's overall strategy.

He said: "Streetlighting has been at the forefront of this for a number of years."

He said they had employed a number of different approaches to cutting the energy needed for streetlighting. County Coun Toon said: "One way is looking at more energy efficient lamps, dimming the lights in rural areas after midnight - which no one has noticed."

Since 1978 the county council's Total Energy Management Approach has resulted in thousands of kilowatts of energy being saved by the innovations.

County Coun Toon: "A third approach has been looking at ways the lights are switched on and off so they go on and off at the appropriate times. Some are turned and off with radio signals, rather than relying on photocells."

The county council has also set up a deal with its energy suppliers so part of the energy used comes from renewable sources, and has installed lights which only shine where the light is needed.

County Coun Toon added: "It's saved us many millions of pounds over the years."

The council is now looking at installing a "dynamic lighting system" on a seven mile stretch of motorway which will dim the lights when traffic falls below certain levels.