Some of Kingston's leading landmarks could get a dramatic makeover by being lit up at night by the company responsible for illuminating Buckingham Palace.

Representatives from lighting company Philips gave the council a taste of the possible future by illuminating The Guildhall, Market House and All Saints Church for one night only on last Thursday.

Mark Riddler, from design consultancy BDP, told councillors about some of the supposed benefits.

He said: "Lighting buildings can describe how your town is structured but also how to navigate it by giving people beacons by which to understand the town."

Mr Riddler said BDP had been commissioned to design lighting for Whitehaven in west Cumbria. As a result, the town had seen an increase in night time visitors and an increase in the average daily visitor spend from £6.80 to £32.50, he said.

Building illumination is not the only thing being considered by the council. Trees, benches and statues can also be lit up at night. Light features such as interactive light displays and artwork are also features that can be worked into the lighting strategy.

Councillor Ian Reid said the council's lighting strategy had not yet been decided, but that it would be a framework for making decisions about lighting.

He said: "The strategy is a way to consider lighting as an integral part of development which enhances the environment rather than being purely functional."

A spokesman for Philips, which lights up Buckingham Palace at night, said the energy used to light the palace is the same as boiling a small kettle.

He estimated that lighting up a church would cost £10,000 in equipment and installation and 50 pence a night in energy costs. An illuminated tree would cost £400 to install and 10 pence a night to run.

Kingston town centre manager Graham McNally said: "We would never close the door on a good idea. If there was a project that included light improvement, we might consider helping on a match-funding basis, but these projects are costly so it would depend on our budget."

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