Council to take up to 28 days to fix a broken street light.

Qlocal has been sent several emails regarding broken street lights in the area.

I reported a defective street light on 16 Dec to Sefton direct.
I rang again yesterday 15 Jan as it has not been repaired
I was told, that there were currently no contractors available to repair street lights in Sefton.
I was then told that no repairs at all would be carried out until after 29 Jan, when they hope to have new contractors in place.
I am speechless!!




Cllr Tony Dawson highlighted this problem last year in December.

Southport residents who have always felt Sefton Council 'keeps them in the dark' have just been proved completely right in two ways. Firstly, the Council has decided that it is going to stop regularly reviewing street lighting in the Borough for failure. From December 15th it will rely on members of the public reporting specific lights which have failed. Secondly, the way this decision has been taken within the Council and why it has been taken are both complete mysteries.



Councillors were sent an email letter by a Sefton MBC officer this week telling them that the entire local street lighting service was being put into the private sector.

"They say the change is being brought in on 15th December 2017," says Southport Councillor Tony Dawson, "which must surely mean that the Council has already decided which firm is taking over the service. But as to who is getting the work - we are being kept in the dark."

"And everyone is also being kept completely in the dark as to the precise reasons for the change. So, I have written to the Cabinet Member John Fairclough, asking him to 'come clean' with residents. What did the Council find wrong with their previous service? Why could this not be improved within the department? Will the new service be better and cheaper and, if so, by how much?"

"Recently the Council has been bringing selected previously-privatised services back in house. Perhaps Sefton's recent Strand shopping centre purchase has given them a new capitalist perspective?"

*It has not yet been announced whether the new procurement is being done through an onshore or an offshore company and whether UK tax will be paid on the profits made."

The service standards announced for the Council's new private street lighting providers will be :
Repair of routine lighting faults (not including mains failures) - 5 working days
Repair of routine lighting faults (including mains failures) - 28 calendar days
Attendance to emergency faults both in normal hours and out of hours - 2 hours
Residents wishing to report street lighting faults can

(a) use Sefton Council's online reporting tool on the Council’s Website https://www.sefton.gov.uk/4656
(b) Email the Street Lighting Team: streetlighting.enquiries@sefton.gov.uk
(c) contact the Call Centre by phone Tel: 0345 140 0845
(d) write to the Council

"Just like the old service, if the new service does not deliver as promised after you report a fault," says Councillor Dawson, "I urge residents to email their ward councillors."


The Council response to this problem...

Due to operational issues, we are currently unable to meet our 5 day response times. Please allow up to 28 days for routine repairs to be undertaken before re-submitting your complaint. For dangerous situations contact Sefton Council immediately on 0345 140 0845.

Sefton believes in Mushroom Management:-

Keep them in the dark and cover them in s**t

Why should anyone be left speechless about this - it's hardly the worst thing that could happen. If one light is out the illumination from adjacent lights will be perfectly adequate in the interim.
When will these councillors wake up to the fact that there aren't the staffing levels to deliver the standard of service enjoyed years ago and stop urging the population to berate the council at every opportunity.
After all - it was the Con/Lib coalition that took the axe to the budget in the first place - I'd urge residents to contact their councillors and ask 'when are you going to provide adequate funding'?
I'm certainly left speechless when considering that anyone, especially the councillors, would expect a Rolls Royce service for the price of a second hand Mondeo.

Originally Posted by gazaprop

Why should anyone be left speechless about this - it's hardly the worst thing that could happen. If one light is out the illumination from adjacent lights will be perfectly adequate in the interim.

I've seen several instances of several lights in a row out.
Yes I have reported them.

Sefton Councillors' allowance & expenses 2016/17 £782,293.71

How many Councillors would it take to change a street light bulb ?

None, they don't do that because there is no special responsibility allowance for doing it

Originally Posted by gazaprop

Why should anyone be left speechless about this - it's hardly the worst thing that could happen. If one light is out the illumination from adjacent lights will be perfectly adequate in the interim.
When will these councillors wake up to the fact that there aren't the staffing levels to deliver the standard of service enjoyed years ago and stop urging the population to berate the council at every opportunity.
After all - it was the Con/Lib coalition that took the axe to the budget in the first place - I'd urge residents to contact their councillors and ask 'when are you going to provide adequate funding'?
I'm certainly left speechless when considering that anyone, especially the councillors, would expect a Rolls Royce service for the price of a second hand Mondeo.

There was a suggestion that to save money alternate streetlights would be switched off, so unless a greater proportion are out WHY bother reporting them. Good job our locals don't live in Prestbury they have nothing so common as street lights there.

Same in Lancashire,as I picked a customer up recently in Banks,and a lampost outside her house had been hit by a car,a replacement lampost was installed within a week of the incident,but it has still NOT been working,this was 3 weeks AFTER it was replaced ?