‘A real safety concern’ – Up to 150 public lights in Louth out at any one time
Faulty public lighting across Louth is posing a “real safety concern”, with too many lights not working at any given time, a local councillor has said.
The issue was raised at the latest meeting of Drogheda Borough District, where Cllr James Byrne highlighted problems with public lighting at Wheaton Hall.
In response, senior engineer with Louth County Council Mark Johnston told the meeting that the issue at Wheaton Hall would be raised with the council’s lighting contractor to ensure repairs are carried out as quickly as possible.
Mr Johnston explained there are more than 15,000 public lights across the county and that, at any one time, around one per cent — or approximately 150 lights — may be faulty and awaiting repair.
He said the council works closely with its contractor to keep faulty lighting within this margin and that pressure is maintained to ensure issues are dealt with promptly.
“We keep the pressure on the contractor all the time,” he told the meeting.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Byrne acknowledged the efforts being made by the council but said the figures still represented a significant safety issue.
“That is still up to 150 faulty lights, even if they keep within the limit, which is far too many and a real public safety concern,” he said.
He added that members of the public can help speed up repairs by reporting faulty lights through the Deadsure app or by contacting their local councillor to highlight issues in their area.