Agenda item

A report by the Services Manager (Property and Technical)

Presenting the report the Portfolio Holder confirmed that at its meeting on 28 March 2024, BTAC had resolved to request from officers the cost of upgrading a number of its older Footway Lighting assets across its geography; this report provides the Committee with information in relation to a number of those lights for which costs have been obtained to date. The current replacement cost to undertake the above works on the 21 assets is estimated to be £7,350 +VAT. Please note this cost may increase upon any commission as the price was provided on visual inspection basis rather than a structural inspection. In the event any order is placed post quote term, costs may also be subject to review. For clarity to the Committee, all footway lights at the above locations are full night rather than ‘part night’ lights (being timed to turn off, normally somewhere between midnight and 02:00 hrs). Whilst reducing operating hours would reduce electricity costs, moving to part night lighting may prove to be problematic from a reputation management perspective so it may be prudent to retain the current lighting arrangement of full night time illumination in the event of any upgrade?

To help the Committee, officers have undertaken some high-level calculations to quantify the potential savings that could be generated by upgrading to 18W LED light fittings. Currently these assets cost c. £1,369 per annum to operate (based on an average annual 11.76-night hours with electricity at 37.6 pence per kWh). Changing the lighting heads would reduce the annual running cost to c.£610. This equates to a potential annual saving of £758.55 or a reduction of approximately 44.6% in the annual running cost of the lights in scope, giving a capital payback of 9.69 years.

Members comment and questioning followed which included:

The Buildings and Property Services Manager confirmed that the report was one in a potential series of three reports across three phases, for BTAC to consider as the committee was responsible for other lighting assets within its ward including car parks and ornate lights.  In the event that members of BTAC wished to progress with those two provisions that a contractor would need to be commissioned to enable modelling to take place.

Concern was noted by members that BTAC appeared to pay for the Councils Car Parking lighting – yet BTAC received no income back into BTAC from the Car Parks.

Concern was further noted that that within the last twelve months BTAC had dipped into its reserves to deliver the lighting if agreed, and members wanted to know if it was possible to ensure any savings made from the changes went back into the BTAC reserves.

Responding to members questions the Buildings and property Services Manager confirmed that it was not possible to run street lights on solar lights particularly within the winter months due to a reduction in sun hours.  There were no solar street lights on the market – they were not suitable.

Urging caution on any decision being made prior to a further detailed report being tabled identifying all of BTAC’s lighting responsibilities, it was suggested that the report be deferred.

RESOLVED:

That the committee agree deferral of the report and any decision making, pending the future tabling of more detailed report at the next meeting on all lighting under the responsibility of BTAC and also pending sight of the detailed finance report agreed previously in the meeting.