The Lemon Fool

Ssh! Don't tell. Heard a noise this morning and found a council cherrypicker parked beside the light with a council worker just coming down in the lift. I assume they've repaired the light but won't know until it is dark.

Didn't speak to the workers as felt it might put them in an awkward position but I did manage to get a photo of the cherrypicker (with council name on the side) parked beside the light...

Needless to say I'd already arranged to get a quote for a private firm to do the repair, so if the light comes on this evening will just have to contact them and apologise for wasting their time.

Lynn

You won't believe this. The light on my road was working fine last night. This morning the company secretary emails to tell me the light on his road - the other road on the estate - did not come on last night! So we are back to square one.

Ah, they moved the bulb from one to the other......



Mel

Ah, they moved the bulb from one to the other......



Mel

Don't say things like that when people are drinking tea!

Clitheroekid wrote:
The courts are extremely reluctant to imply / infer a contract, and it's very rare that it happens.

Would that apply to notices in parking areas, which say something like "You are deemed to have accepted a £100 fine" or something vaguely similar?

In our area the basic Council Tax is supplemented by a small amount if the village has street lighting and this is shown in the "small print" on the bill.
It might be worth a quick look as it is easily missed and may clear up a little of the problem.
Some years ago our local council installed lighting at a mini- roundabout in the next village which delighted the locals till they got their new Council Tax bills.

I live on a private road and the parish council agreed to pay the bill after several years of discussion - they claimed that they were under no legal obligation to do so, but agreed it as a moral issue (as like you we pay our council tax but get less in services for it). But they do make us change the bulbs (I was up the ladder this weekend doing it - nerve wracking time). Keep asking, I'm convinced that persistence was what made them back down.

This does look all sorted now, but a couple of things to note...

Just because the Highway is adopted does not mean the Local Authority is responsible for the streetlighting.

Just because the road is private does not mean the Local Authority is not responsible for the streetlights.

You need someone with a G39/1 ticket to open the door and check the card in the column, which must be filled out when the light is attended, so this gives an indication of who and when it was maintained.

You would be extremely surprised at the contract rate your council pays its contractor. A second hand lantern (and there are loads available with the LED rollouts across the country) can be supplied and installed for around £60. A new lamp (bulb) installed is a lot less than that

Paying a nominal fee to have the light adopted can be a very easy way of solving future problems.

Paul