STREETLIGHTS across Southampton will be dimmed by up to 50 per cent.

The city council cabinet this evening approved plans to reduce lighting levels across the city.

As part of a cost-cutting and energy efficiency drive, the council announced plans to reduce levels in areas where lights have already been replaced with new, energy-saving bulbs.

Lighting levels in those areas will be reduced to 50 per cent between midnight and 5am, and 25 per cent between dusk and midnight and 5am and dawn.

And the rest of the city will follow suit as new lighting units are installed through a five-year private finance initiative between the authority and electricity firm SSE, which will see another 28,000 units upgraded.

As part of that agreement, 13,000 new bulbs have already been fitted in areas including Freemantle, Redbridge, Bitterne Park, Swaythling, Shirley and Millbrook.

Dimming will not take place in the city centre area, city parks, suburban shopping precincts, and car parks.

It is anticipated the council would make a saving of £284,000 a year - a 28 per cent saving - through the dimming programme, compared to the original annual energy cost of £1,019,000 in 2010/11.

Dimming will start in September.