Welwyn Garden City

Located in the county of Hertfordshire, Welwyn Garden City was the second garden city established in England as part of the garden city movement. Constructed in 1920, the town was also one of the first to be designated as a new town in 1948. Today, it remains a popular and picturesque place to live and work.

DW Windsor was appointed by Ringway Infrastructure Services on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council to refurbish and replace a number of Heritage style lanterns across the town as part of Hertfordshire County Council’s LED project. Having developed the original luminaires 25 years ago, DW Windsor successfully bid for the LED upgrade, selected as the supplier of choice by the client for the project. 

To reduce the county’s energy consumption and carbon emissions, Ringway Infrastructure Services, Hertfordshire County Council has substantially completed upgrading all of the county council-owned street lights to LEDs. The project has been conducted in a phased approach over the past several years. One of the final elements of the project was to replace the Welwyn Garden City Heritage style lanterns, which was timed to be completed by the end of Welwyn Garden City’s centenary year in 2020.

Commenting on the project, Phil Bibby, Executive Member for Highways & Transport said, “The switch to LED has been a significant factor in a 60% reduction in carbon emissions from street lighting – avoiding almost 12,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.  It is also responsible for saving Hertfordshire’s taxpayers around £5million a year on the council’s electricity bill.

“Now, with almost all of the county’s streetlights converted to LED and controlled by the one central management system (CMS), it is possible to dim lights and modify timings in specific areas. This change has allowed more flexibility in the way the county council can save money.”

Specifically designed for the area, the lanterns feature a wide brim and a distinctive conical canopy, so the look and style of the lantern needed to be kept. As the original manufacturers of the bespoke Welwyn Garden City Heritage style lantern, and with a strong history in the county, DW Windsor was a natural fit for the project.

DW Windsor successfully delivered the LED upgrade to more than 200 Welwyn Garden City Heritage style lanterns, all before the end of the centenary year.

The replacement lanterns, found at several key locations across the town, maintain the luminaire’s original appearance while offering high-quality LED lighting performance and improved uniformity. They are also now fully functional with the county’s CMS system, which is a significant benefit.

Michael Malins, Director of Business Operations at DW Windsor, said: “As a company, we were very proud of our work in Welwyn City Garden over two decades ago, so it was a privilege to be able to work in the area again.

“Having manufactured the original Welwyn lantern, it was an honour to be appointed to complete the upgrade work. With the latest LED technology installed, the lanterns are now far more energy-efficient and are set to illuminate the streets of Welwyn Garden City for the next 20 plus years.

“We look forward to working with Ringway Infrastructure Services and Hertfordshire County Council again in the future.”

The centenary was celebrated through a number of events, activities and competitions. The community was heavily involved, and the town is looking ahead to the next 100 years of making Welwyn Garden City a wonderful place to live and visit.