Issue details

Street Lighting Policy

 

 

Kent County Council is one of the largest lighting authorities in the UK and has 118,000 street lights and some 25,000 lit signs and bollards. The current annual cost of illuminating and maintaining the stock is over £9m, a cost that keeps rising.

Due to changes in technology, KCC has been able to award a new contract to Bouygues E & S Infrastructure to convert all its street lights to Light Emitting Diode (LED) products which alongside a new Central Management System has provided an opportunity to review the current street-lighting policy

Decision type: Key

Reason Key: Affects more than two Electoral Divisions;

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Division affected: (All Division);

Notice of proposed decision first published: 05/02/2016

Department: Growth, Environment & Transport

Contact: Robert Clark, Contract and Commissioning Support Manager 03000415951 and 03000413479 Email: Robert.clark@kent.gov.uk Tel: 03000415951, Roger Wilkin, Director of Highways, Transformation and Waste Email: roger.wilkin@kent.gov.uk Tel: +443000413479.

Consultation process

Financial Implications:

This conversion works will reduce energy and Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) costs by 60% and significantly reduce maintenance costs. The conversion works will cost around £40m and deliver a significant savings annually up to £5.2m.

 

Financial implications of potential options are outlined in the report to the Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee on 12 February 2016. 

Legal Implications: None

Equality Implications: A draft EqIA for Part Night Lighting and All Night Lighting has been completed as part of the Consultation and will be finalised prior to the new policy being implemented.

 

This is not referred to in your Business Plan or Medium Term Capital Programme however the LED conversion project is within the following plans:

 

·   Kent County Council Medium Term Plan

·   Growth Environment and Transport Directorate Business Plan

·   Highways, Transport and Waste Service Level Business Plan 2015-16

 

Consultees

A consultation proposal was reported at the Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee on the 21 July 2015 and endorsed by Members. The public consultation was carried out over a 10-week period in late 2015 on a number of options: 

 

·         Option 1: Part night lighting - current level of service (12am to 5:30am)

·         Option 2: All night lighting

 

Additionally, views were also sought on dimming street lights when roads and footways are less busy within the following periods:

 

·    Late evening, e.g. 8pm to midnight

·    Overnight, e.g. midnight to 5am

·    Early morning, e.g. 5am to 8am, if dark

 

The outcomes of the consultation are being presented at the Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee on 12 February 2016.

 

All members and electoral Divisions are affected by this proposed decision, as street lights are situated in every ward. A Briefing pack was provided to all 84 Kent County Council Members.

 

Financial implications: Robert Clark Street Light LED Programme Manager 03000415951 Robert.Clark@kent.gov.uk Roger Wilkin Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste 03000413479 Roger.Wilkin@kent.gov.uk

Legal implications: 16/00018

Decisions

Agenda items

Documents