Agenda item

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport and the Corporate Director for Growth, Environment and Transport and to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member on a proposed decision to for the conversion of street lighting stock in Kent to LED

The Committee received a report seeking endorsement of the proposed decision to convert Kent’s stock of street lighting to LED and recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport  on the same. Details of the indicative costs and contractual arrangements were set out within the report.  The full details of the decision were set out at Appendix A and included:

• Approval for the procurement of the services to supply and fit LED lanterns to the County Council’s stock of street lights,
• Award of a 15 year maintenance contract to the preferred bidder

with potential extension.

Behdad Haratbar, Head of  Programmed Works  and Rob Clark, LED Project Manager, were in attendance to speak to the item and on introducing the report to members referred to the following:

1. That Kent County Council was one of the largest street lighting authorities in the country with responsibility for approximately 118,000 street lights and 25,000 LED signs and bollards.  The running cost to the council was currently approximately £9.5million per annum.
2. That the conversion to LED was expected to cost around £40million and save around £5.2million  annually.
3. That a two day non-binding market engagement exercise had been undertaken and from this three options had emerged. These were as follows:

·         Option 1 – KCC to procure the supply and implementation of LED lighting with responsibility for the stock reverting to KCC on completion and after the 12 – 24 month guarantee period.

·         Option 2 – KCC to procure supply and implementation of the conversion and the long term management of the converted stock.

·         Option 3 – Ask the market to fund the conversion and undertake long term maintenance which would be akin to PFI

4. The three options had been considered by the CAB in March 2015 and option 2 recommended for endorsement by the Cabinet Committee and ultimately approval by the Cabinet Member

The following further information was provided by officers in response to questions from members:

1. That all District and Parish Councils would be contacted in order that a full list of lighting controlled by other authorities could be compiled.  Following that exercise the preferred bidder would, by inclusion in the contractual terms and conditions, to offer District and Parish Councils access to the contract rates.
2. That the Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to consider the adoption and implementation of the safe and sensible street lighting policy in 2010 but that this was a separate issue from the proposed decision before the Committee..  A further decision would be required should changes be made to lighting policy, in particular, the illumination levels. The policy in this regards will be the subject of a report to a future meeting of the Committee.
3. The conversion programme as a whole would not require lights to be reconnected to the mains. This was due to the LED connection being connected above the sub fuse, owned by the Council.  
4. That implementation would be phased, starting in the residential areas with main routes and town centres to follow. 
5. The £18million funding gap was being funded through the County Council’s Capital Programme
6. LED would provide improved lighting as shown by the experience of other authorities and trials in Kent.

Mr Bowles put forward an amendment, seconded by Mr Baldock to the proposed decision for endorsement that liaison take place with KALC in order to formalise the engagement with Parish and District Councils referred to by officers.  The amendment was carried by a majority and included with in the substantive motion.

It was RESOLVED that the substantive motion to endorse the proposed decision as amended be AGREED.