Rochdale Council threatens to pull the plug on £117m contract to replace street lighting across the borough

Rochdale Council has threatened to pull the plug on a £117m contract to replace nearly 25,000 lamp posts across the borough, due to the “atrocious” service from energy company E.ON.

The project was commissioned by Rochdale and Oldham councils in 2011.

Since work began in July 2011, Rochdale Council has been inundated with complaints from residents after lamp posts were removed and not replaced or put back up in different locations.

One case in Middleton has seen a lamp post moved and re-sited directly outside of a man’s bedroom and cases within the Pennine’s township has seen lamp posts put in the middle of driveways and through phone wires.

Councillors say they will terminate the 25-year contract if a meeting with E.ON’s head of street lighting does not lead to improvements.

Councillor Allen Brett who moved a motion during a meeting of Rochdale Council said: “The threat of pulling out of the contract is if meetings aren’t arranged first. We have problems.”

A motion to Rochdale Council said: “This council is hugely disappointed with the operation of the PFI Street Lighting Contract with E.ON.

“In particular, members of Council are concerned about E.ON’s lack of information and consultation with ward members, inadequate information given to residents before posts are relocated, E.ON’s failure to engage constructively with ward members to resolve problems, E.ON’s failure to respond to residents’ complaints, the placing of lamp posts in inappropriate locations and the unwillingness of E.ON to respond to reasonable requests from residents to re-site lamp posts, which are causing considerable inconvenience.

“The council instructs the Chief Executive to summon E.ON’s Head of Street Lighting Contracts to a meeting with members in order for these concerns to be raised, and to make it abundantly clear that failure to make immediate improvements to the service to the boroughs residents will result in the council seeking to terminate its contract with E.ON.”

So far, 80% of the project has been completed with 19,744 lamp posts replaced out of 24,945.

The motion was moved by Councillor Brett and seconded by Councillor Martin Rodgers.

It is understood that the CEO of Rochdale Council, Steve Rumbelow has been in touch with E.ON requesting a meeting.

http://rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/85851/middleton-township-councillors-unhappy-with-lighting-scheme

http://rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/88387/pennines-councillors-frustrated-with-lack-of-response-from-eon