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RESOLVED:

1.     
This Council notes:

a)     
That residents can feel unsafe when long stretches of grid roads,
including roundabouts, bridges and busy junctions, are left without
functioning streetlights. Whilst some of these areas benefit
from basic lighting from nearby buildings or roadside lighting,
some are obscured by trees and remain in complete darkness. These
locations include various areas across the city, and the list has
been forwarded to the relevant Cabinet Member.

b)     
That residents walking or cycling along redways are also at risk from widespread outages,
particularly at busy junctions. Cyclists and pedestrians often
have to share narrow pathways, which are
frequently covered by debris or slippery leaves, all of which pose
additional hazards in poor lighting.

c)     
Accidents that involve vehicles and pedestrians and/or cyclists are
proportionally more likely to result in casualties and/or
fatalities. Due to financial constraints, the City Council
prioritise grid roads with the highest repair priority and
redways and underpasses are among the
lowest.

d)     
That given the number of redways and
underpasses with streetlights across the city, which is a very
large network to maintain, some of these routes can be left in
darkness for extended periods of time.

e)     
That these conditions can discourage active travel, as residents
are understandably reluctant to walk or cycle during the darker
months.

f)       That both councillors and
residents have expressed frustration at the difficulty of obtaining
clear updates on the causes and timescales of long running
faults.

2.     
This Council further notes:

a)     
That many streetlight repairs depend on National Grid,
and that close collaboration is essential to reduce delays and
improve safety.

b)     
The lack of clear information often leads to residents to believe
the City Council is solely responsible, which can be damaging to
its reputation.

3.     
This Council therefore asks:

a)     
The Executive to continue to engage proactively with National Grid
to minimise delays to streetlight repairs and to
establish a clear and regular communication process so that
councillors and residents can receive timely updates and
explanations for prolonged faults.

b)     
The Environment and Place Scrutiny Committee to consider, as part
of its work programme, the current prioritisation process
for streetlight repairs with a focus on resident and
community safety.