Edinburgh residents are being “literally” left in the dark as a result of nearly 200 faulty street lights across the capital, a councillor has claimed.
Scottish Power has been accused of failing to act over the issue, which it is claimed has been ongoing for more than two years.
Cllr Kevin Lang called on the council leader to intervene and “demand answers” from the company.
Speaking at a council meeting the Liberal Democrat group leader said officers had informed him that 182 Edinburgh street lights “are not working across the city”.
He said this was “not because of the council but the failure of Scottish Power to address a multitude of faults in their supply network”.
He added: “Some have been out now for more than two years, so can I ask the council leader to intervene, to demand answers from Scottish Power and, if necessary, to bring them to a committee of this council to account for themselves for the fact that they are literally keeping thousands of residents in the dark.”
Council leader Cammy Day replied saying he has asked officials to reach out to the energy firm to find a solution.
Cllr Lang continued: “Proper street lighting is essential for people’s safety, particularly for vulnerable people when they are out and about at night.
“It is disgraceful that Scottish Power’s delay in tackling key faults throughout their network mean over 180 lights across Edinburgh aren’t working.
“Worse still, some faults stretch back over two whole years. This can’t be allowed to continue.”
A spokesperson for SP Energy Networks said: “We can assure all residents and councillors that we are committed to repairing street-lighting faults as quickly as possible in line with available resources.
“We are currently experiencing a backlog within the city - and apologise for any inconvenience caused – and are doing everything we can to turn this around, prioritising areas where higher numbers of lights are affected.
“We are in regular contact with The City of Edinburgh Council to keep them up to date with the progress being made and look forward to seeing an improving picture moving forward.”
by Donald Turvill
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
