Two petitions to save Victorian-style lampposts from being removed have been handed in to Surrey County Council (SCC).

As part of its street lighting programme, the council plans to replace the current orange glow street lamps in the county, which the authority says are inefficient, with white lights.

But the 30 Victorian cast iron, swan-necked lampposts in Long Ditton are not compatible with these white lights, meaning the council will have to install new modern-looking lampposts.

In an attempt to save the lampposts, which are currently in 11 roads in Long Ditton, 419 residents have signed the two petitions to be delivered to SCC ahead of a cabinet meeting on June 21.

Alf Manly, who lives in Prospect Road and organised one of petitions, said: “The lampposts are part of the heritage and some of them are over 100 years old. They go with the character of the streets here.

“The modern lampposts they want to put in are totally out of keeping. People love the old ones. If they really do have to be go, they should be replaced with similar style lampposts.”

At a meeting on Monday, June 6, residents of Kings Road, where there are 11 of these lampposts, voted unanimously in favour of campaigning to have the existing ones refurbished.

A spokesman for SCC said: “We are aware of the concerns of residents and are reviewing the position regarding the cast iron streetlights.”

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