City's light brigade to put ageing street lamps under scrutiny

Night-time patrols have started in Hull to spot failing street lamps and dimming road signs amid fears the ageing lighting system could lead to an increase in crime or accidents – and that some street lamps are so decrepit they may even fall over.

Hull Council faces a 50m bill to replace the city's 35,600 street lamps plus some 3,600 signs and bollards. With the money it is spending now the task would take until the 22nd century to complete – and then need to begin all over again.

As reported by the Yorkshire Post, the authority has seen its energy bill double over the past four years, leading to suggestions by some members that street lights in deserted areas such as industrial estates at night could be turned off to save money.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But a new report has ruled that out, because good lighting is vital to reduce night time personal injury accidents, reduce the severity of accidents and to cut crime, and the fear of crime.

The report to be discussed by councillors tomorrow also stresses the need for people – especially the vulnerable – to safely get around the city at night and the role of street lights in opening up and expanding the night time economy.

But Head of the Street Scene Service Trish Dalby has warned ageing street lights not only waste electricity, increasing bills to charge payers but provide less light and pose dangers to the public as cracking concrete and rusting metal makes some lamp posts dangerous.

"The stock is decaying at a faster rate than investment can retrieve," she said. "Therefore a radical approach to funding should be considered.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"As a street lighting installation ages, light output reduces and its light output efficiency reduces and therefore each unit of light usefully emitted will cost more.

"If the light output diminishes to a level where the incidence of accidents or crime is not reduced, the council will be paying a higher cost and receiving little or no benefit."

Ageing street lights themselves could pose a danger.

She continued: "A lighting column will decay from the inside and will therefore lose wall thickness and structural strength.

"Eventually the column will collapse as has happened nationally on a number of occasions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"A prioritised programme of structural testing should be drawn up according to the recorded column age and column type.

"It is known that certain makes and models of column manufactured before the 1980s were particularly vulnerable to deterioration.

"Although columns may be manufactured from galvanised steel and show no outward sign of deterioration, they may still pose a significant risk."

The report acknowledges that replacing street lights is going to cost a fortune and recommends the council start planning for it now by drawing up a strategy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The programmed life of many street lamps is 30 years. Replacing them all in Hull would cost 50m. At the present rate of investment that could take up to 100 years – by which time the council would have to start all over again.

In the meantime, a regime of planned night patrols is under way.

She added: "The intention is to scout the whole of the council's area monthly to enable faults to be detected and reported as soon as possible.

"This would ensure quicker repairs and, by taking proactive action, the number of public complaints should reduce.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"In addition, some signage is legally required to be illuminated and non-illumination could result in third party claims and litigation against the Council."

It is proposed that the patrol areas would be closely defined with clear routes to ensure no road was missed. Repairs in non-residential areas would be carried out at night as soon as they are detected as most of these are traffic sensitive streets which preclude works during the normal working day.