Many well-known people are supporting a campaign to save Westminster’s historic gas lights from being replaced with LED replacements, including actors Griff Rhys Jones and Simon Callow.
In July of last year, MailOnline broke the exclusive story that Westminster Council was replacing the 305 lighting under its control with LED models that it said were more environmentally friendly.
This was a part of a £6 million lighting network update that the council said was necessary to address the “climate emergency.”
At the beginning of this year, the work to replace the lights, some of which are classified, was put on hold to allow for a consultation.
When the operation was halted, thirty lighting had already been changed. On October 20, a one-month engagement period is scheduled to start.
Luke Honey and Tim Bryars, two Westminster locals who co-founded the advocacy organization the London Gasketeers, are trying to convince the council to abandon their plans.
Mr. Rhys Jones, a 68-year-old comedian and actor who rose to fame on the successful television program Not the Nine O’Clock News and is the president of the Victorian Society, is supporting the effort to conserve the lights.
He described them as a “endangered species” and said, “They are part of the mystery of London,” according to MailOnline today.
The 73-year-old actor Simon Callow supports the Gasketeers. Wherever gas lights are present in London, they improve the quality of life and, of course, provide light, he told MailOnline.
Westminster Council seems to want to “destroy” the lights, the Four Weddings and a Funeral actor continued.
Mr. Honey told MailOnline that he thinks the council’s survey is more about the appearance of the new LEDs than it is about whether or not to replace the gas lighting.
We firmly believe that the original gas lights are real and are a part of London’s history. They have a lovely light, are historically significant, and are beneficial for visitors, he added.
Additionally, data provided to MailOnline revealed that the lights under Westminster Council’s control only use as much gas as 40 patio heaters, which are often used in outdoor dining areas at pubs and restaurants around London.
The lights are also reported to require just 0.63 percent of Westminster Council’s almost 45,000 tonnes of yearly carbon emissions. This statistic contradicts the assertion made by authorities that replacing the lights is necessary as part of efforts to combat global warming.
Dan Cruickshank, an architectural historian, is among those urging the council to save the lights. Cruickshank participated in a successful campaign in the 1970s to stop the replacement of gas lamps in Covent Garden as part of a planned renovation of the area.
The national secretary of the GMB union also joined the demands to conserve the lights earlier this week.
Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square, two of London’s most well-known sights, are illuminated by the lights that the council controls. They are kept up by a group of British Gas engineers and run on mains gas.
They are among the last 1,500 people in the city.
In movies like Mary Poppins and The Muppet Christmas Carol, gas lamps—which revolutionized life when they were initially placed in London in the early 19th century—are also shown.
MailOnline previously exposed how some of the bulbs were changed carelessly in 2020.
In his lengthy TV and film career, Mr. Rhys Jones has starred in a number of successful films. He recently said: “I am particularly glad that the Victorian Society is participating in this.” These really date back to the history of London. They are a man-made species at this place.
I’m really glad the Victorian Society is taking part in this. These really date back to the history of London. They are a man-made species at this place.
I just like moving through these streets, which have such a remarkable consistency.
“Fagin’s refuge in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Saffron Hill, is not far from where I am,” you say. Domby Street is located not far from here. That is also by Dickens.
Mr. Callow, a fellow actor and author, said: “Gas lights, wherever they are located in London, improve the quality of life and, of course, provide light.”
This is particularly true at Westminster Abbey, but perhaps nowhere is it more exquisitely displayed than in the quaint Cecil Court off St Martin’s Lane in the center of the West End. As night falls and the lights gradually come on, enchantment follows, illuminating the alley in a soft-focus amber glow.
Especially around nightfall, people are attracted there to see the action. The hated hard-edged, blue-tinted LED lights are now being threatened to replace them altogether by Westminster Council.
“It truly does appear at times that if something of distinctive and unique attractiveness exists, this Council, whether it is run by a Labour or a Tory, feels compelled to destroy it, regardless of the lack of any scientific evidence of unfavorable side effects.
“In whose name?” about homogeneity, the scourge of our day. Not fewer gaslights, but more.
The ancient gas lights are real and a part of the historic fabric of London, according to antiques merchant Mr. Honey and book salesman Mr. Bryars, who created the London Gasketeers last year.
They are great for visitors, a piece of history, and provide lovely light.
He said that he finds it “worrying” that the consultation seems to be focused on the design of the new LED lighting.
In order to replace the gas-powered ‘heads’ with reproductions that would be more “sympathetic,” council officials sought Historic England’s permission since over 140 of Westminster’s lights are grade-II listed.
The Parliamentary estate, which is a component of the Palace of Westminster and not under the administration of the council, has gas lighting that are not in danger.
The council initiative will not have an impact on the many lighting in the Royal Parks and Palaces.
The GMB National Secretary, Andy Prendergast, stated: “These central London gas lights are a part of our past.”
The replacement of them in the name of modernization would be tragic since hundreds of visitors visit them every year.
Nobody contests development, but choosing to replace them would erase years of history.
If doing so means that any of London’s distinctive character is lost, Westminster Council ought to consider very carefully before replacing them.
‘Such a choice would be a shortsighted assault on the history of our capital, especially with the possibility of converting them to hydrogen only around the corner.
The council is urged by GMB to take steps to keep them in place for future generations.
Mr. Bryars, a resident of Westminster and co-owner of a bookstore in Cecil Court, contacted MailOnline last year after council workers “dug a hole” close to the gas light outside his store.
The lights, which are thought to date from the 1890s, were being checked to determine whether they could be simply replaced with electric ones, the workmen ‘breezily said,’ according to him.
I have a strong attachment to the gas lighting at Cecil Court. Since Cecil Court was constructed in the 1890s, they have given our street a distinctly Dickensian light,’ he had previously said.
“They certainly make the place better.” They have a striking individuality. It would be extremely awful to replace actual, functional Victorian gas lighting with fake historical lamps.
The assertion made by Westminster Council that the gas lights are not eco-friendly was initially contested last year.
Former Ministry of Defense engineer Brian Harper told MailOnline that the lights can be kept at a “low carbon and high efficiency” level.
Additionally, the council said that maintaining the bulbs was becoming “increasingly challenging.”
In the past, Mr. Harper convinced council leaders in Malvern, Worcestershire, to conserve the area’s historic gas lights by demonstrating how they might be improved for efficiency and maintenance-free operation.
He claimed that the restored bulbs resulted in cost savings of around 80% and gas use reductions of up to 60%.
By altering how the lights operate, his group—informally known as the Malvern Gaskeeters—improved them.
While the lamps in Westminster operate with a pilot light that is always burning, Mr. Harper altered the lights in Malvern so they used spark ignition, much like a home stove.
Another purported argument for replacing the Westminster lights with electric ones is the internal clockwork, which has to be wound around every two weeks so that they turn on at the proper times.
Mr. Harper said that an electronic control system might take the place of the mechanism, eliminating the need for ongoing maintenance.
The mantle, a piece of metal mesh, which produces the lamps’ light. After passing through the mantle, a pilot light or spark ignites the gas.
The mantle is then surrounded by flames that heat it up till it glows with a characteristic golden hue that is adored by both visitors and native Britons.
The merchant said that ten years ago, when Westminster Council officials were “extremely anxious to maintain their gas lights,” he had negotiations with them but that no agreement was reached.
The council maintains that it wants to swap out the lighting with “gas effect” LEDs that will maintain their existing aesthetic.
The council intends to consult on replacing gas lamps with high-quality replica LED lamps, and it has worked closely with a specialist lighting manufacturer to develop a solution that replicates the look and style of our heritage lanterns without significantly altering appearance, according to councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, cabinet member for city management and air quality, who spoke to the BBC.
I’d want to reassure everyone that we will only consider installing new lights that adhere to the greatest standards of historical accuracy since I know that many people share our enthusiasm for our city’s legacy.
For a response, MailOnline has contacted Westminster Council.