Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request information on the following:
* Total money spent on street lights by the authority for each year since 2009-10?
The following figures are the combined outturns for revenue and capital.
2009/10: £5,971,730
2010/11: £5,836,576
2011/12: £5,259,724
2012/13: £5,543,411
2013/14: £7,000,891
2014/15: £5,474,692
2015/16: £7,876,621
2016/17: £9,747,222
2017/18: £9,968,063
We should clarify that the totals for the 2018/19 financial year are not yet finalised.
* How many street lights (both number and as a proportion) have been dimmed as a result of reduced central government funding in each year since 2009-10?
Dimming was introduced in 2016 as part of the LED main road upgrade programme where a D69 dimming regime has been applied to about 13,000 lanterns, which is about 16% of the total asset.
We should clarify that this is to aid with energy saving and good practice rather than as a direct result of reduced funding.
* How many street lights (both number and as a proportion) have been extinguished as a result of reduced central government funding in each year since 2009-10?
No lights have been fully extinguished as a result of reduced central government funding.
50,000 lanterns (63% of street lighting asset) have been partly extinguished (Part-night lighting) which have been gradually rolled out since January 2010 and was substantially completed by 2015.
We do not hold the information for each individual year.
* For how many hours per day have lights been dimmed or extinguished as a result of reduced central government funding in each year since 2009-10?
The Part Night Lighting policy turns the lights off for a period of 5 hours each night from 00.30 to 05.30. The D69 dimming regime runs at 100% light output from dusk to 21.30, from 21.30 to 00.00 it dims to 75% output, then drops to 50% from 00.00 to 05.00 and then increases to 75% to 06.00 and 100% thereon to dawn.
* How many street light checks have been carried out in each year since 2009-10?
The street lights are scouted every month during the Winter months and every other month during the summer months, therefore amounting to 9 scouts per year.
The electrical testing is carried out at every asset once every 6 years.
There are approximately 78,000 street lights in Devon.
How many complaints regarding street lights has the council received in each year since 2009-10?
We only hold this information since 2017:
2017: 9 Complaints received
2018: 12 Complaints received
2019: 5 Complaints received