Council, however, says Essential Energy owns and is responsible for street lighting and that standardising street lighting across the network makes the system more efficient.

Architect Ingrid Pearson says council's recent Draft Renewable Energy Action Plan includes an initiative to replace existing mercury, halogen and other types of inefficient street light fittings with LED ones.

According to the plan, replacing the lights, along with other measures, will allow council to reduce its total electricity consumption by 15 per cent on 2018-19 levels.

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Mrs Pearson said pilot LED street light installations are beginning to be rolled out in some suburbs, including in Kelso, but there is a risk of suburbs losing their character.

"It is puzzling why a new estate such as Marsden Heights Estate, Kelso, that was developed in 2017, needs replacement of their heritage-type light fittings, as heritage-style LED street light fittings have been available for some time." she said.

"Are we as a community uncaring about the degrading of our suburbs?

"I urge council to reconsider the one-size-fits-all approach to replacement of street lights with LED ones, especially within suburban streets.

"Please replace existing street light fittings with similar or more appropriate LED street light fittings to conserve the original character and urban aesthetic quality of our suburbs."

Mrs Pearson said she had no objection to the LED light fittings for major roadways and main roads, "as they are appropriate".

Bathurst Regional Council's environmental planning and building services director Neil Southorn said it was the responsibility of land developers to install street lighting selected from an Essential Energy approved materials list, and the lights were then gifted to Essential Energy once constructed.

He said many different types of lights had been installed over the years but as part of the LED rollout, Essential Energy was now looking to standardise the styles being used.

"The number of different types and styles of lights reduces the efficiency of operating the streetlight network and makes it more expensive," Mr Southorn said.

"... While it may be possible for Essential Energy to procure LED decorative style lights similar to the existing Bourke Hill light, these are much more expensive - up to four times more expensive.

"Costs of this order would negate the benefits to council of moving to LED."