Let There Be More Light?
At Environment Committee on the 14th June 2021 Members agreed the following motion:
With regards to people, especially women, feeling safe in our parks and green spaces: to discuss the current provision of street lighting and decide whether to explore putting in extra illumination.
We are seeking feedback from residents to help identify areas in the town and parks that require more illumination. The map showing the location of Buckingham’s current street lights can be accessed via the Fix My Street website, select ‘Street lights’ from the left hand column and then ‘Street Light not working’:
https://www.fixmystreet.buckscc.gov.uk/report/new?longitude=-0.972267&latitude=51.993913#subcategory
We would appreciate residents’ views on whether any additional street lighting is needed within the town and greenspaces and where those extra street lighting columns could be located. Any recommendations for additional LED lighting columns would be recommended to Buckinghamshire Council (Highways), who own the majority of street lighting columns across the town including through Bourton Park.
Please email committeeclerk@buckingham-tc.gov.uk with any suggestions on the location of additional LED lighting columns.
- Please include a snapshot from the FixMyStreet Map or https://www.openstreetmap.org/
- Photographs of the location would also help
Streetlighting
Transport for Buckinghamshire’s (TfB) Street Lighting Team looks after the 29,000 streetlights and 6,000 illuminated bollards we rely on across Buckinghamshire to
illuminate our roads and pathways by night.
During 2018-19, the Street Lighting Team replaced 3,295 ‘old style’ lanterns with LED equipment. These old style lanterns have an orange light, whilst the new lanterns produce a white light. In addition to this, the team has also completely replaced 344 lanterns which were mounted on wooden electricity poles.
If you do spot a damaged or broken street light, please do report it using Fix My Street https://www.fixmystreet.buckscc.gov.uk/
Use the search bar to find the road the street light is on, use the marker to pinpoint the area it is in and select the number of the street light that you are reporting. This should be used for faults that do not present an immediate risk, for example, street lights that aren’t working. In an emergency, please call 01296 382416 to report.
Whose light is it anyway?
Buckinghamshire Council are not the only ones who maintain lights within the town. Buckingham Town Council maintains eight LED streetlights within Chandos Park, updated from the old lantern style luminaire. The LED lights use far less electricity and direct the light down and along the path where required reducing light pollution as opposed to the old style lanterns.
Only County Council lights currently appear on the Fix My Street website – if there is no light option available on the map for the location that you are trying to report. Note however that you cannot report failed lights that are privately owned, for example in gardens, on driveways or lighting commercial premises. You’ll need to contact the landowner.