Residents in the Lenamore Drive and Church Avenue area of Jordanstown, County Antrim, are asking the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to reconsider its decision to remove street lights serving almost 100 families.

Tracy and Steven Morris, who have lived in the area for almost ten years, said residents received a hand-delivered letter earlier this year without prior notice. Tracy Morris, who has three children aged 14, 12 and eight, said the loss of lighting raised safety concerns for families and others, particularly during winter months when it gets dark early.

The letter, shown to BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show, stated that because the roads were not adopted by the department, current policy requires that when street lighting reaches the end of its serviceable life, it is removed without replacement.

Alex McClenaghan and her husband Peter, who have lived in the area for almost 30 years, said the lanes have always had street lights and are used by the wider community as a safe shortcut away from main traffic on the Jordanstown Road.

Alliance councillor Tom Campbell, who also lives in the area, said the lights have been maintained since the 1970s and that as many as are safe should be retained.

The DfI said it intends to remove concrete street lighting columns identified as having reached the end of their serviceable life and which now require removal on safety grounds. The department said the concrete columns are approximately 60 years old, have been assessed as structurally unsafe, and that there are electrical issues with the existing installation requiring attention.

The department said it will arrange for the affected columns to be removed as resources permit, with priority given where safety issues warrant more urgent action. It added that no formal decision has yet been taken on whether replacement lighting will be provided, and that officials are considering the options available.