Street lights in one Aberdeenshire village will be staying on, councillors agreed yesterday.
Auchenblae was one of six villages to have a nightly blackout as part of a cost-cutting pilot rolled out by Aberdeenshire Council three years ago.
But last month the authority announced a U-turn and put them back on, after mounting pressure from local residents.
Yesterday the Kincardine and Mearns area committee was asked to formally rubber-stamp the switch on, which they did with little hesitation.
Mearns councillor George Carr said last night: “Everyone agreed with what the residents of Auchenblae wanted, we’re quite happy to support the views of the public.
“For those who were concerned about all-night burning there are things that can address that.”
In March 2011, the council unveiled plans to blackout Auchenblae, Auchterless, Monymusk, Rora, Sandend and Sauchen, as a way of cutting back on their streetlight bill, which is about £2million a year.
Auchenblae community councillor Shirley Castle said: “The campaign we ran was successful in that the council listened and the lights were on over the Christmas period, and now the area committee has chosen to permanently leave them on is great. I know the residents will be quite happy.”