Issue - meetings

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community & Resources, which provided an update on the project to upgrade highway electrical equipment to LED technology and provide energy savings.

            The Board was advised that Highway electrical equipment maintenance costs were constantly rising, as were energy costs which were increasing well above inflation.  The cost of energy for all the Council’s highway electrical assets (including street lighting, traffic signals, illuminated signs, etc.) was approximately £1,080,000 per annum.

            In order to reduce energy and maintenance costs, since 2010 all new street lights and traffic signals have had LED lanterns.  Initially there was an increased cost of the equipment, but equipment costs have now reduced to equivalent levels of non-LED components.  At the same time as lanterns were replaced, structural maintenance of columns was carried out, where required.

            In 2015 the Council allocated capital funding to replace street lighting lanterns in residential areas with LED lanterns.  At the present time around 14,000 street lights have been upgraded to LED, with circa 6,000 lights in need of upgrade.

            During 2019/20 the program should see the majority of the remaining 2,000 street lights in residential areas upgraded to LED, leaving around 4,000 of the higher wattage street lights to be upgraded on the principal / main road network.

            In parallel to the work to convert street lights to LED operation, similar work has been undertaken to convert traffic signals (including Puffin and Toucan crossings) to LED operation.  This had been undertaken using capital allocations received from the LCR Combined Authority.  Controlled crossings were now being converted and this work should be completed by the end of the current financial year 2019/20.  There was an added benefit for the Authority in completing this work now, as from 2021 the current tungsten halogen lamps would no longer be manufactured, so the Authority was prepared for this change.

            It was noted that the original cost analysis calculations for street lighting conversions were based on energy prices at the time. However, above inflation energy increases would show significantly better benefit/savings and reduced payback periods.

            On behalf of the Board, the Chair thanked Mr Rimmer for all the work he had carried out for the Council and the Board and wished him a long and happy retirement.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.