Trafford Council’s annual structural testing programme for street lighting columns is now under way for 2026.
This routine safety process, conducted by the One Trafford partnership, will check the condition of over 5,000 columns this spring and identify any that may need to be replaced.
Trafford has over 27,000 streetlights in total but most of them are not yet due for testing and are still considered safe.
Victorian style columns are not expected to form part of this year’s programme as they have all been recently surveyed. Replacement works start this month.
Where a column fails structural testing, it will be removed within 12 weeks of the test result, and replaced as soon as practicable, subject to resources and planning.
Where a column is identified as an emergency risk, it will be taken down on the same day with letters issued to nearby residents and notices displayed near the location.
Last year 467 streetlights needed to be removed and renewed, a total of 7% of those inspected – a higher proportion than usual, due to the similar age of some columns that were erected during a busy time for installation in the 1980s.
Efficient working practices meant team members were able to replace more than 500 tired lamp posts.
Cllr Stephen Adshead, Trafford Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Environmental and Traded Services, said:
“We’re pleased to be delivering this routine improvement work that ensures streetlights in Trafford continue to shine brightly and keep communities safe.”
Read more about streetlighting in Trafford on the Council website.