STREET LIGHTS AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PRIVATE COMPANIES

That this House notes that many council street lamps are housed on shared poles belonging to utility companies such as Electricity North West or British Telecom; further notes that many such companies have proposed to end this arrangement despite their infrastructure having been largely paid for by the taxpayer; further notes that the cost to council taxpayers of replacing these poles will be prohibitive meaning that many communities will lose large swathes of their street lighting; further notes that the impact of the removal of lights from shared poles will be particularly heavy in rural parishes where the majority of street lamps are not owned by the council; further notes the importance of adequate street lighting in ensuring safety; and calls on utility companies immediately to stop their policy of removing these lights.