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Street lighting
Medway Council is responsible for the maintenance of street
lighting in Medway. Painting, cleaning, testing and the replacement
of lamps is carried out annually.
Checking for faults
The council's lighting contractor employs a night scout and all
lighting adjacent to roads is checked for faults every three weeks
in the summer and every two weeks in the winter. Columns in alleys
are not normally checked unless there is a known problem.
Time-scale for repairs
The contract with the maintenance contractor allows for up to
five days for the first visit. The contractor will attempt to
repair the column on the first visit, however, some columns will
require further work which will need to be ordered and this will
therefore take longer.
Are faults prioritised in order of urgency?
The following criteria was considered:
- night-time usage near clubs or pubs;
- schools; hospitals;
- high crime areas;
- main roads;
- roundabouts;
- alleys.
If the above were always given priority then residential roads
would take more than five days to repair. The contractor also
repairs in areas so if faults were prioritised then this would add
to the delay by moving between areas.
Requesting an extra light outside your house in the garage /
alley area
No funds are made available to improve or upgrade lighting,
unless it is for a scheme, such as traffic calming or safety.
Street lighting is also not provided solely for security
reasons.
If the columns in your road are in poor condition
The council has funds for the replacement of columns considered
to be in a structurally unsound condition. This money is
prioritised for the whole of Medway with the worst columns being
changed first.
I want the column outside moved to build a drive. What do I
need to do?
Occasionally existing columns will be obstructing a new driveway
crossing. The council will send the resident a letter outlining the
procedure to follow.
I believe my car was broken into because the street light is
out. Whose responsibility is it?
Street lighting shouldn't be relied upon to provide security for
cars or housing. Its prime purpose is to provide a safe environment
for the movement of highway users.
A tree is overhanging the light; making it very dark. Can it be
removed?
Medway Council staff will inspect the problem and if the tree is
in private property, it will write to the resident/owner for it to
be trimmed. If the council owns the tree, the arboriculture officer
will be asked to visit the site. Both trees and street lighting are
part of the street scene and occasionally there must be a
compromise on providing good lighting and trimming/removing of
established trees.
I want the street light outside my house shielded. Who can I
contact about this?
Shielding light from lighting columns is, from a highway
lighting perspective, undesirable. However, it is understandable
that in certain circumstances a resident may feel that shielding
the lantern is the only solution to the situation. The council will
send the resident a letter outlining the procedure to follow.
A new column has been put up outside my house and I don't want
it there. Is there anything I can do?
New columns are placed on the public highway, normally at the
back of the footway. They should not obstruct any existing access
to private property. It is increasingly difficult to place columns
in the highway due to the amount of services in the footway and
occasionally a position that is not ideal has to be used. If the
lighting in the whole road is to be replaced a consultation letter
will be sent to the residents for their views.
The lamppost was knocked down. When will it be put back?
Unfortunately, vehicle damage to columns is a fairly regular
occurrence. Streetlights are disconnected from the mains supply and
removed as soon as possible after notification of the incident. The
council will then arrange for a new column to be installed and
reconnected to the mains by UK Power Networks. This work can take
in total some eight weeks due to the time allowed to the contractor
and UK Power Network's charter time.
Why has the streetlight in my street been changed to a
different type?
The type of column used is sometimes changed. This may be a
different type of lamp (which will change the light colour) or the
height of the column. Most changes are to improve the efficiency of
the column using modern lanterns and lamp types at the best height
for the class of road.
Lampposts with wires exposed
If the lamppost has the cover missing, leaving the wires
exposed, this is considered to be an urgent matter.
Reporting a problem
Please report broken street lights using the contact details
provided below or complete the
online form.
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