Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Street Lighting repairs - how long generally does it take?
Hello,
A street light near me has been off for some time. My neighbour originally spotted it and reported it over 3 weeks ago. I have reported on the 'Love Clean Streets' app about a week ago. The response to reports on the app are usually pretty speedy, but the update on the report is stuck at "We will assess your report within two working days and decide how urgently it needs to be dealt with." There darkness on this part of the street is noticeable. My neighbour is concerned about the safety of it not being very well lit in this section of the street.
How long does it normally take for lights to be repaired? Has anyone else reported street lights not working and how long was the response time? How long do you think I should I wait before reporting it again? Many thanks for any advice!
Tags for Forum Posts: Street lights, street lighting repairs
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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I flagged this with Zena this morning and she replied saying that she's just sent an email on the issue.
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Permalink Reply by KTwok on
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That's so much for speaking to her, Hugh. I spotted one thos morning on my walk to work that looked like it was on whole the rest were off. I'll make a note on the way home later and report that too in case a crew are sent to look at all the ladder roads. Thanks again.
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Permalink Reply by Zena Brabazon on
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I have just had a reply to my email from the Assistant Director who leads on streetlighting. He tells me there is some technical issue with the central management system they have which is causing 'disparity between faults evidenced on site with those shown on the system'. The officers are monitoring the contract with Urbis Schreder to get this all rectified. Marlborough are contracted for the roads.
I will be following up, but wanted to report back. There is a full report on street lighting going to the Scrutiny Panel on this issue on Monday evening. Links to agenda and papers below.
https://www.minutes.haringey.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=755&am...
https://www.minutes.haringey.gov.uk/documents/g10697/Agenda%20front...
Zena
Cllr, Harringay ward
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Thanks for engaging with this Zena. If you could please raise the issue of unsafe, unlit streets which are not being maintained as contracted, with the Scrutiny Panel on Monday that would be greatly appreciated. I wrote to Gina but received no response, and it appears she is due to attend so if you could pass the concerns and frustrations of the residents with the current system that would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry to start with who is responsible and therefore being assessed by the Scrutiny Panel, but in the document you attached it reads that Marlborough are responsible for the maintenance of lights and that Urbis Schreder are responsible for the smart technology that auto detects faults (or in this case incorrectly detects faults)? And that as yet, their CMS isn't yet fully implemented?
"The Council awarded a street lighting contract in 2019 to Marlborough Highways Ltd which commenced in October 2019" and that "In accordance with the contract, the contractor undertakes the general maintenance and repair of the street lighting and illuminated assets that are owned and operated by Haringey Council." but that "In March 2021, the Cabinet awarded the contract for a street lighting central management system (CMS) to Urbis Schreder."
Also that the lighting contract is separate to the roads "Marlborough Highways is also the Council’s term contractor for highway maintenance and minor highway improvement works. This contract was awarded in a separate procurement process."
Unless I've read it incorrectly, as things stand it seems that if faults are not detected on the Urbis Schreder CMS, then no maintenance occurs. Since it has been established that there is a disparity between the faults evidenced and those on site, do you know if it currently the case that priority is given to the faults reported by the CMS resulting in extra contractors being required to check these, often non-faults. Meanwhile, are actual humans witnessing faults having their reports delayed because the CMS sees no fault? I ask this as some faults are in excess of 28 days and the faults persist. Furthermore, "Faults are reported to the Council through phone calls, My Account, Love Clean Streets app, online through the general enquiries link, and twitter now ‘X’). Officers respond to these reports through emails." I only see and 'In Progress' status, I haven't been contacted further, and those that have been still have not had lights repaired. This time scale very often exceeds 28 days. Are these reports included in the log or is it just faults generated by the CMS?
While it's generous that, according to the document, Urbis Schreder have until November 2023 to improve, it will be in the darkest months by then. How soon can an alternative solution be in place if no improvements are shown by Nonvember 2023? Can anything be implemented in the meantime whereby human reports are prioritised in the meantime for the safety of the residents in the borough?
Sorry this is so long, but as you can understand having no response at all for so long has been a source of increasing frustration for all who have tried to help by reporting issues.
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Hi KTwok, Liz and Everyone
I am writing again to the Assistant Director, and once again will send the links to this page with the latest, very germane and spot on comments with my own additional points. This situation needs resolving - in the immediate and longer term - and I will be doing my best to get some results.
Zena
Zena Brabazon
Cllr, Harringay ward
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Thanks Zena, much appreciated. I will still be at work when the meeting occurs on Monday but I hope that the safety concerns and combined failings of the contractors to resolve faults will be sufficient to bring some solutions before the nights get much darker. Thanks again for trying to resolve this.
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Hi Zena, I was unable to attend or watch any online version of the meeting as I was at work until very late on Monday. Is there a viewable copy of the minutes or even just a summary of what is the next planned step to restoring working street lights again please? Many thanks for all your help.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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I sometimes commend corporate puff pieces for telling us something important in what they don't mention.
For example in the online leaflet there's "Matthew Revell, Managing Director of Marlborough Highways" who for some reason hasn't provided a photo of himself "taking advantage of the "... great opportunity to share what [they] are doing across all contracts", in Harringay Ladder with "focus on our people, community involvement, green initiatives, health and safety endeavours and innovation" as they "move forward into a new era, [and] look forward to sharing our journey with you and to showcasing the positive impacts that our people continue to deliver” fixing streets lights off at night or on during the day.
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I need to make a grovelling apology to Matthew Revell, Managing Director of Marlborough Highways".
Another company bear [ir]responsibility for fixing/failing to fix street lights which are off at night and on by day. (Or perhaps otherwise mistimed and a bit of both.)
In the meantime we face a vital philosophical question: do we believe the evidence of the eyes of residents who actually live in the streets affected?
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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Ah, my mistake.
I based my assumptions about who is responsible on Haringey council's own information
BUT I should have read on and realised this was a case of "computer says no" managed, naturally, by a completely different company. Urbis S are "experts in lightability" although not quite expert enough to turn the lights on and off at the correct times in Haringey. The word 'lightability' is some brand speak coined by UrbisS (it isn't in any dictionary I can find) and the company seem to be absolutely full to the brim with heartwarming tales of after dark wonders across Europe.
Alas when it comes to Haringey their aspirations are falling short. Its case studies include some of "London’s most charming residential neighbourhoods, such as Crouch End and Muswell Hill' but hasn't identified the "others where improving the atmosphere after dark is a concern".
I'd say the concern expressed by people both here and on the app should be enough to get them to pull their ruddy fingers out and fix it before the nights draw in because this bit "instead of so-called “night scouts” going on patrol to note faults - meaning they can go unspotted for several weeks - faults are reported in real-time by the asset itself. And when new lighting is added, it automatically becomes a part of the system." is most definitely not happening.
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Starting to wonder if a traditional lamplighter moving from light to light manually turning them on and off everyday might be both more reliable and cost effective. With switches that use the LED system rather than the original gas lamp lighting, of course. It would even provide more jobs for the area rather than the amounts sent elsewhere for ineffective computer systems.
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I've now followed Zena Brabazon's link and read the report to be discussed by the Council's Scrutiny Committee next Monday 11 September at 6.30pm,
https://www.minutes.haringey.gov.uk/documents/g10697/Public%20repor...
The Street Lighting Contract Performance is item 8 on the agenda (PAGES 23 - 28 in the pack.) (Don't raise your hopes too high, they can't even correctly spell the name of Councillor Isidoros Diakides who has been on the Council since way back in the last century.)
I'm unclear who is supposed to be fixing the failures in street lighting. Hopefully the two companies Marlborough and Urbis talk to each other and both to Haringey. Passing the buck would waste everyone time and money in a version of the old song where Liza and Henry grow increasingly irritated with one another.
The street light is off, Dear Haringey Dear Haringey
Well, fix it Dear Marlborough -or maybe Dear Urbis
Or praps we need United Kingdom Power Networks
Yes, Dear UKPN to inspect; & then dig up the road.
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