QUESTIONS have been raised about a system which sees North Somerset Council’s Clevedon headquarters lit-up late at night.

The Times has been contacted by people who have noticed the lights on at the authority-owned Castlewood offices in the early hours of the morning or late at night, with questions raised about the costs incurred at a time when the council is trying to make millions-of-pounds worth of savings.

The issue was also raised at a Clevedon Town Council meeting on January 11.

However, North Somerset Council has said some lights remain on for staff who work late and the rest of the lights may be turned on intermittently for 20 minutes for security checks.

A spokesman said: “Although the majority of staff at Castlewood work regular office hours, some are in the building late in the evening.

“Our Primary Care Trust partners operate a rapid response service from Castlewood until at least 10pm every day, providing emergency care for people in their homes and support for frontline emergency services.

“The building is lit by a movement sensor system, automatically switching off when no movement is detected. So, only the areas where staff are working are lit out of hours and lights around the building go on temporarily for periods of 20 minutes for security checks.

“Energy saving measures mean our annual running costs are �186,000 less than the previous building occupier.”