Street lights – no wonder we are in the dark

York Council fails to fix 67% of faults within target time

Street lighting repair stats

Street lighting repair stats

The York Councils streetlight repair performance slipped to an all time low last December with only 18% of faults being repaired within target times.

Performance had been  dropping since routine “scouting” for faults was abandoned.

Even when faults have been reported by members of the public there have been unacceptable delays.

The Council has the following targets for attending to faults:

  • Urgent faults will be attended and either repaired or made safe within 2 hours
  • Normal faults will be attended and either repaired or made safe within 4 working days
  • When a defect has been made safe and further works are required, we aim to have the repairs carried out within 20 working days.  When there is an issue with the electricity supply, and we have to work with a utility company to resolve, the national standard allows 35 working days for the repairs to be completed

The performance probably hides an even more serious situation with few Councillors apparently now routinely reporting lighting faults in their wards.

In Dringhouses LibDem Councillor Ann Reid is the exception having reported (and re-reported) dozens of faults this winter. However, members of the public have become disheartened by the lack of response.

The situation has deteriorated over the last 12 months.

  • In February 2014 only 20% of fault repairs missed target.
  • This had escalated to 67% in February this year.

Labour Councillors blame aging street lighting stock for the problems but conveniently forget that they spent over £1 million on new lamps in 2012. The number of faults reported in January 2015 was actually less than is the corresponding month the previous year.

The reel issue related to the lack of adequate staffing levels and an enforceable service level agreement with repair contractors.

In the battle against crime and In road safety terms, good street lighting should be a higher priority than putting up more 20 mph signs.

Delays in repairing street lights

Liberal Democrat councillors say cuts to streetlight checks are leaving many areas of the city in the dark.

In 2013, Labour run City of York Council decided to end ‘night scouting’- the routine checking (scouting) for faulty streetlights by council officers. The council said it would rely on the public to report any faults. Lib Dem councillors ‘called-in’ the decision, but Labour forced through the controversial plans.

Lib Dem councillors now say there is a growing backlog of faulty lights with some taking weeks to repair. Cllr Andrew Waller says he has reported 50 faulty lights in the Westfield ward alone and concerns have been raised with him over public safety. He has also arranged for some tree trimming in the ward where streetlights have been covered by branches.

Cllr Ann Reid, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Transport and Environmental Services, commented:

“We warned that the ending of night scouting would cause problems. Solely relying on residents to report issues is not an ideal system. During the summer months people don’t always notice the lights are out so there was an increase in reports once the clocks went back. This creates a backlog, which officers are now struggling to catch-up with. Regular checking prevents this.

“Labour introduced the cut without proper public consultation and they failed to take account of the problems caused the last time the council stopped night-scouting about 15 years ago. Residents expect their council tax to cover basic things like good streetlights and roads, but while Labour find millions to spend on city-centre vanity projects these basic services continue to be hit.”

Cllr Andrew Waller, Lib Dem Councillor for Westfield, commented:

“Residents are concerned that there are black spots where street lighting is poor or non-existent. We need a clear plan to improve the lighting of streets. In Westfield there is a blind bend on Acomb Green at the junction with Askham Lane which does not have any street lighting and a large number of residents have raised concerns with local Lib Dems.

“Residents have contacted me saying that they would feel a lot more at ease going out at night if there was better lighting in particular areas, such as where trees are currently blocking out lights.”