A pilot scheme is being launched to introduce "smart" streetlighting in Wirral.

The energy-saving lamps will cut costs and are environmentally friendly.

Councillors have approved spending £137,000 on a trial of 350 new lamps, which will be centrally controlled by a computer.

A report by the authority's director of technical services says the introduction of a computerised central management system would allow the remote control of the lights.

The report says: "The system could be arranged so that the level of lighting was appropriate to requirements at any given time.

"For example, increased lighting in the vicinity of a theatre for a period when the audience was due to leave, but lower levels on nights when there was no performance."

Wirral currently spends £1.5m a year powering its street lamps.

The trial covers just 1% of Wirral’s street lighting, and only 9,500 of the borough's current 37,750 streetlights are suitable for conversion to the new system.

The system would also end the problem of lights burning during the day due to photocell failure.

Night inspection of lights controlled by the central management system would no longer be required, as faulty lights would be reported by the computer.

The report notes it will not be possible to connect the old-style orange sodium lighting units to the system, so the rate at which the "smart" network expands will depend upon funding available to renew Wirral's streetlighting stock.

The results of the trial will be reported to the council's ruling cabinet before the end of the financial year.