Street Lights...what Next?

[thelewisgang]

Over 8 weeks ago 6 street lights in my road failed to come on & they haven't been on since.

The county council were not interested and said the company who built the houses should be contacted. After several emails by myself and my near neighbours they finally said they were now the responsibility of a management company and we have been emailing and ringing them for the last few weeks. We were first told they would get their inspectors out then they were waiting for their report. 14 days ago they said they had instructed their contractors to do whatever it takes to fix them. We are still in darkness!

Lights in the area where we park our cars are maintained by a housing association and although they said they put an urgent repair to their sub contractors, nothing has been done. It is extremely dark in these areas and the narrow path leading to my/my neighbours houses is quite secluded. It is a worry and some people are concerned about falling.

Several of us have made phone calls and sent emails and each time we are told they will see what the holdup is and keep us informed but they don't. We feel there must be some sort of circuit issue because all these lights failed to come on the same evening.

We need these areas lit especially as some residents live on their own, are disabled or elderly. We really don't know what to do next. Any suggestions welcomed

[Mamyalynne]

Get your local newspaper on the case.

[lankeela]

Get your MP on the case.

[Stickybottle]

I agree with mamyalynne

Local papers love and thrive on this sort of thing
Make sure to add the human/safety element about elderly folk and the time of year etc and lay it on thick

[THECORBYLOON]

Could you not contact your local Councillor, explain the situation, the health and safety risks and ask them to put pressure on the County Council?

[gness]

In these days of supposedly keeping women safe on the streets at night you could use that with the local paper and others.

[bednobs]

Buy a torch? A cheap and simple solution.

[tonyav]

Ask for a reduction in your council tax.

[gness]

Not everyone can walk and carry a torch, Bednobs. Crutches, Zimmer frames, walking sticks, arthritic hands, buggy pushers.

[douglas9401]

A head torch then.

[gness]

We had bets on who’d post that first. Musses up your hairdo Douglas.

[sanmac]

Gness, these are available and are really, really bright...I've used them both indoors and outdoors. I realize that the salient problem is the street lights being out, but these may help: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=strap-on+headlight

[sanmac]

Ooops, two of you beat me to it:)

[douglas9401]

Attach it to one of those mouth-organ holders then, also leaves the knees free for cymbal wearing should the season dictate.

[gness]

They may, Sanmac but I think for safety street lights need to be working rather than relying on the beam from a torch. A torch of any sort could soon be disabled by an attacker.

[Stickybottle]

Why are some people pontificating about what can be bought when the issue lies with the company who installed them and their obligations to fix them ?!

[THECORBYLOON]

The cymbals can also be a warning for folk to get out the road...

[sanmac]

And I don't understand why a group of street lights have been out for 8 or more weeks and different agencies are fighting over whose responsibility it is to repair them. In Ontario, all street lighting is the responsibility of the municipal government and any outages are fixed pretty damn quickly.

[gness]

Oh don't you start too, Corby....just haud your wheest!

[THECORBYLOON]

I was giving sound advice...

[gness]

Well I can't argue with that I suppose. :-)