Acrospire upgrades Poole’s heritage high street lighting

Acrospire worked with Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch Council to upgrade Poole High Street’s Heritage Lighting to LED, resulting in a 74 percent reduction in energy consumption.

Once a quaint medieval fishing harbour, Poole has evolved into a bustling commercial port boasting major maritime industries. Its High Street, nestled against the picturesque backdrop of Poole Harbour, serves as the vital link between the historic Quayside and the town centre. Characterised by a blend of Georgian houses, elegant Victorian buildings, and charming 1930s art deco shopfronts, Poole exudes a vibrant sense of place, attracting visitors and locals alike.

However, the town centre faces its fair share of challenges. Recognising the need for revitalisation, Historic England identified the High Street as a Heritage Action Zone. It secured funding to restore historic buildings, repurpose vacant spaces, and enhance public areas to invigorate the town centre.

Daniel Moorley, Street Lighting Team Leader Infrastructure at Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch Council, describes, “Our Conservation team engaged us to upgrade the lighting along the High Street. We had received a grant for a Heritage Action Zone and wanted to make the wall lighting and column lighting match and fit in with the area.”

Acrospire upgraded the High Street’s lighting infrastructure to align with the Heritage Action Zone’s objectives.

The solution comprised 72 wall and column-mounted Muirfield luminaires. Muirfield, renowned for its traditional gas lantern aesthetics infused with modern LED technology, perfectly complemented the historic architecture of Poole’s High Street. Crafted using premium materials sourced locally in the UK, these luminaires ensured superior quality and durability.

To address the project’s unique requirements, Acrospire provided a mixture of wattages (from 31W to 45W) tailored to meet current lighting standards. With a colour temperature of 3000K, the lighting solution offered a warm and inviting ambience, enhancing the town centre’s allure.

The project had its challenges. Daniel explains, “We were in a position whereby the original cast iron columns did not have access at the base, so a solution was required where we could install a local isolator at each column. We worked with Acrospire on a “clock box” solution that was big enough to house an isolator and mimicked a gas clock box that would have been used when the lights were powered by gas.”

As well as ticking all the aesthetic boxes, the transition to LED lighting resulted in significant energy savings, with a remarkable 74 percent reduction in energy consumption compared to the previous SON installations.

Daniel commented, “I have worked with Acrospire on several projects and am pleased with their service. From start to finish, they were really engaged and very knowledgeable. Locals have praised the uniformity and improved spread of light, notably the elimination of bright spots which has created a more visually pleasing environment.”

The successful collaboration between Acrospire and the council breathed new life into Poole’s historic High Street, contributing to its ongoing revitalisation efforts.