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Street Light Failures in East Lothian Attributed to Old Cables
Residents in East Lothian have expressed concerns regarding prolonged street light outages, which council officials attribute largely to outdated cabling operated by ScottishPower Energy Networks. A recent report highlights that public confidence in the local council has been impacted by these failures.
The report reveals that investment in street lighting has decreased in recent years, with an estimated £14 million needed to replace a backlog of over 5,000 lighting columns that have surpassed their life expectancy. Currently, funding allows for the replacement of only 200 columns annually.
Despite the issues with street lights, the council noted a significant upgrade in technology; 99 percent of the street lights have been replaced with LED fixtures, which has resulted in a 60 percent reduction in energy costs.
One of the key points raised in the report is that a third of the cabling used in the street lighting network is managed by ScottishPower. Officers have stated that failures in these cables can cause multiple lights to go out at once, leading to dark patches across communities and a rise in complaints from residents.
The report also suggests that the response time for repairs from ScottishPower can be lengthy, averaging up to four weeks for multiple faults. Although the council does not incur direct costs for these repairs, prolonged outages may adversely affect public perception of the council’s effectiveness.
The council officials are advocating for consideration of replacing the older ScottishPower cables with those maintained by the council, in order to enhance service delivery and address public concerns more effectively.
A spokesperson for ScottishPower has acknowledged the impact of street lighting outages on local communities and reiterated their commitment to resolving issues as efficiently and safely as possible. They recognise the challenge posed by the public’s perception of shared responsibilities between local authorities and energy networks regarding street lighting maintenance.
