Issue - meetings

Report No:   CAB/SE/15/065

Cabinet Member: Peter Stevens      Lead Officer: Mark Walsh

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL (Extraordinary meeting - 17 November 2015):

(1)     the contents of Report No: CAB/SE/15/065 be noted; and

(2)     £1,810,000 of non-allocated capital be allocated to upgrade 3,027 St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) owned street lighting assets to enable 1,547 of them to be transferred and adopted by the Suffolk County Council Highway Authority and to reduce the cost to power and maintain the 1,481 lighting assets retained by SEBC (reducing annual SEBC revenue expenditure by £156,500 per annum).

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/15/065 (previously circulated), which sought approval for a capital allocation for the upgrading of transfer of street lighting assets to Suffolk County Council (SCC), which in turn would reduce annual revenue costs for the Borough Council.

Councillor Peter Stevens, Portfolio Holder for Operations, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including that a capital allocation of £1.81 million was sought to enable 3,027 St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) owned street lighting columns to be upgraded. 1,547 of them would be transferred to SCC Highway Authority and the remaining 1,481 would be retained by SEBC.  For the reasons provided in the report, an annual saving of approximately £157,000 per annum on current maintenance and energy costs would be expected to be achieved as a result of the investment.

The Cabinet noted that there were a number of street lighting assets that were owned and operated by parish councils. These lights were not part of this proposal, however, should Cabinet and Council approval be given and the project progressed, officers would investigate if this approach could benefit parish councils. 

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

(1)    the contents of Report No: CAB/SE/15/065 be noted; and

(2)    £1,810,000 of non-allocated capital be allocated to upgrade 3,027 St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) owned street lighting assets to enable 1,547 of them to be transferred and adopted by the Suffolk County Council Highway Authority and to reduce the cost to power and maintain the 1,481 lighting assets retained by SEBC (reducing annual SEBC revenue expenditure by £156,500 per annum).