Agenda item

Report of the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste (HIW/19/1) on proposed changes and additions to the existing Street Lighting Policy and seeking approval to retender the Street Light Term Service Contract, attached.

An impact assessment is also attached for the attention of members at the meeting.

The Cabinet is also asked to note that the Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting on 17^th November 2018 (minute 98) refers, considered the report of the Commissioning Liaison Members who had met with officers of the Council to discuss the proposed street lighting policy. The Committee considered the proposed Street Lighting Policy which made several proposals on the Outline Policy Statements and also detailed the input that Scrutiny had made. Members further discussed the proposal ‘Attaching non-highway equipment to lighting columns’.

The Committee RESOLVED that (a) the Street Lighting Policy Member Report be endorsed and commended to Cabinet and be considered in conjunction with the Street Lighting Service, Policy and Contract Report, prepared for the Cabinet meeting on 9 January 2019; and (b) that the Scrutiny Committee support the exploration of the use of advertising banners as a revenue stream.

(Councillors Connett, Hannaford, Biederman, Atkinson, Dewhirst, Shaw, Hodgson and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Chief Officer for  Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste (HIW/19/1) on proposed changes and additions to the existing Street Lighting Policy and sought to retender the Street Light Term Service Contract, circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Cabinet noted that the Council was responsible for a street lighting asset in excess of 88,000 inventory items which consumed over £3m in energy costs this financial year. Whilst through the Challenge Fund over 5,400 columns had been replaced and about 25,000 high wattage lanterns converted to low energy LED, the Street Lighting Policy continued to primarily focus on the corporate objectives of reducing Devon’s energy consumption and carbon footprint. 

The proposal was largely a continuation of existing established practices and policies, which had evolved over time but with a few additions, which was attached as Appendix A to the Report, covering eight distinct areas as set out below:

·         to maintain a safe asset;

·         minimising energy consumption, revenue expenditure and carbon footprint of the asset whilst also protecting the environment;

·         adopt road lighting on new developments;

·         requests for additional lighting;

·         private roads;

·         attaching equipment or banners to lighting columns; and

·         facilitating on-street charging.

The current contract was currently in its second year of a four-year extension period. With the contractor reluctant to continue with the extensions and changing technology, it was an appropriate time to retender the contract. 

The Cabinet also noted there were two e-petitions live on the County Council’s website.

The Cabinet acknowledged that whilst the thrust of the policy was to generally facilitate savings, there was a recognition that the columns were a deteriorating asset that would need investment.  The energy reduction over the past five years had resulted in savings of over £800k in real terms but had been offset by energy price inflation.

In recent months (October 2018), the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that ‘urgent and unprecedented’ changes were needed. Converting street lights to LED could reap significant reductions in energy consumption which could help to reduce impact on climate change. This supported the Authority’s targets for reducing carbon emissions and reduce its liability for the Carbon Climate Levy. 

In progressing the proposal, an Impact Assessment had been prepared and circulated to the Cabinet Members and was also available at:  https://new.devon.gov.uk/impact/published/.

The Cabinet noted that significant impacts were expected. Part-night lighting and reducing energy consumption were well established from previous policy position.  However, there could be some impact on residents in private roads if the authority determined these should be funded by the residents, not being part of the public highway.

The Report also outlined the options and alternatives that had been considered in determining the proposed policy changes and concluded that the proposals to adapt the street lighting service to be more appropriate to the current financial climate and the technological developments that would undoubtedly develop over the next ten years.

The Cabinet further noted that the Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting on 27^th November 2018 (minute 98) referred, considered the report of the Commissioning Liaison Members who had met with officers of the Council to discuss the proposed Street Lighting Policy. The Committee heard of the input that Scrutiny had made in those discussions the Committee further discussed the proposal ‘Attaching non-highway equipment to lighting columns’, in relation to advertising banners, subject to locations being appropriate.

The Committee RESOLVED that (a) the Street Lighting Policy Member Report be endorsed and commended to Cabinet and be considered in conjunction with the Street Lighting Service, Policy and Contract Report, prepared for the Cabinet meeting on 9 January 2019; and (b) that the Scrutiny Committee support the exploration of the use of advertising banners as a revenue stream.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability, carbon impact, risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Chief Officer’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

It was MOVED by Councillor Hughes, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the proposed policy positions for Street Lighting provision in Devon be agreed;

(b) that Cabinet agree that delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways Management, for any minor amendments to this Policy;

(c) that the commencement of a procurement exercise to tender the Street Lighting Term Service Contract be approved; and

(d) that the policy of converting street-lighting to LED, where funding allows, be supported.

[NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed alongside Minutes of this meeting and may also be available at:  http://new.devon.gov.uk/impact/].