York Council fails to fix 67% of faults within target time
Street lighting repair stats
The York Councils streetlight repair performance slipped to an all time low last December with only 18% of faults being repaired within target times.
Performance had been dropping since routine “scouting” for faults was abandoned.
Even when faults have been reported by members of the public there have been unacceptable delays.
The Council has the following targets for attending to faults:
- Urgent faults will be attended and either repaired or made safe within 2 hours
- Normal faults will be attended and either repaired or made safe within 4 working days
- When a defect has been made safe and further works are required, we aim to have the repairs carried out within 20 working days. When there is an issue with the electricity supply, and we have to work with a utility company to resolve, the national standard allows 35 working days for the repairs to be completed
The performance probably hides an even more serious situation with few Councillors apparently now routinely reporting lighting faults in their wards.
In Westfield LibDem Councillor Andrew Waller is the exception having reported (and re-reported) dozens of faults this winter. However, members of the public have become disheartened by the lack of response.
The situation has deteriorated over the last 12 months.
- In February 2014 only 20% of fault repairs missed target.
- This had escalated to 67% in February this year.
Labour Councillors blame aging street lighting stock for the problems but conveniently forget that they spent over £1 million on new lamps in 2012. The number of faults reported in January 2015 was actually less than is the corresponding month the previous year.
The reel issue related to the lack of adequate staffing levels and an enforceable service level agreement with repair contractors.