ESSEX’ highways boss has declared it’s time to let borough and district councils across the county decide whether they want streetlights to be on all night.

Kevin Bentley was speaking after a plea from campaigners to add extra lighting to Eld Lane, in Colchester, which has suffered a spate of late night damage and break-ins.

In 2013, then highways boss Rodney Bass introduced ‘part-night lighting’ across the county in a bid to save about £1 million-a-year.

At the moment, more than 70 per cent of the county’s 129,000 council-owned streetlights are off between 1am and 5am, Tuesday to Sunday and from 12am until 5am on Monday mornings.

But Mr Bentley says it’s time for the responsibility to be devolved.

He said: “I don’t know what has gone on before me but I firmly believe services which matter to people should be controlled at their most local point.

“This is something we have started to do with parish councils on things such as grass verges but in Harlow, for example, they pay for the extra time they would like and we are in the process of working with Epping on that.

“It is my intention to formally discuss that with Colchester Borough Council.

“There is no doubt, for example, those closest to Eld Lane, in Colchester - in terms of living and working - know best what is needed in the area and I firmly support that.”

It is unclear whether district and borough councils will take on the payment of County Hall’s existing contract or would simply pay the extra cash needed for the hours of light required, as is the case in Harlow.

In 2015, Colchester Council offered to pay an extra £185,000-a-year to have the borough’s streetlights on all night.

But the request was refused by Mr Bass and the issue has not been raised since.

Last night Colchester Council’s streets and transportation boss Martin Goss welcomed the move but warned if the service was to be devolved, it would have to come with a “big fat cheque”.

The senior Lib Dem said: “There is no doubt I am absolutely up for doing this. It is what the people want; it’s now what the county council wants, but the devil will be in the detail of the offer.

“If we want all this, we have got to find hundreds of thousands of pounds which, in theory, we have already given to Essex County Council for this service.

“The other issue will be agreeing on how it would actually work because I do think turning them all back on all night isn’t what people want.

“Perhaps one in two or three could be a sensible compromise for everyone.”

Mr Goss added: “My message to Mr Bentley is, ‘I’m ready... but you need to show me the money, Kevin.”

A meeting will be set between Colchester Council and Essex County Council in the coming months.