Street lighting

As well as installing new lighting in the borough, we need to make sure that it is maintained. We will do this as part of our planned maintenance which includes electrical testing, structural inspections and cleaning.

Maintaining street lighting – what we do

We have a dedicated team who maintain street lighting all year around. This means:

  • Street lighting and the lighting columns are routinely cleaned and checked on a cyclical programme for both electrical and structural faults
  • If the team see an electrical fault, they will try and repair it straight away, depending on the fault or if any replacement parts are required
  • If you report a fault to us, we will attend within 7 - 10 working days
  • In an emergency, we will attend within 24 hours of when it is reported to us.

An emergency is classed as:

  • where the door plate at the base of the lighting column has been removed
  • where the lantern is loose or hanging off the column  
  • where the lighting on illuminated bollards and zebra crossings is faulty or missing
  • Where a lighting column is leaning, an inspector will visit to determine how urgent the issue is. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, any repairs required may take a little longer than expected. Please bear with us at this time
  • If there is a problem with the electricity cable feeding the column, notification is sent to the utility provider who will usually resolve the fault within nine weeks of receiving our report. In such cases we contact the utility provider on a weekly basis for an update
  • There may be times when our testing identifies the need to immediately remove a street light column to eliminate any risk to the public

The removal and replacement of faulty streetlights may not take place at the same time. This means there may be some delay in the lighting service, whilst the column is replaced and reconnected to the electricity supply.

The replacement of a column will be identified using a risk-based approach and will be subject to funding and the availability of stock. Unfortunately, we cannot provide a definitive answer as to if or when a column will be replaced. 

Report a fault

If you spot a faulty streetlight, you can report it online. A fault may include an unlit light, a flickering light, a light burning all day, missing door with exposed wires or damage to the lighting column.

To help us locate the lamp, please provide the number of the lighting column. This can be found on the body of the lighting column. If you cannot see this, then please state the exact location or adjacent house number or landmark.

 Report a faulty streetlight

Requesting changes or improvements

We will consider all requests for installing or relocating street lighting and prioritise those requests accordingly. All costs associated with the relocation of a lighting column will need to be paid by the applicant, for example, if a vehicle crossing needs to be widened. You can request this as part of a vehicle crossing application online.