Street lighting work now underway

Oldham Councillor Bernard Judge, Rochdale Councillor Jacqui Beswick (front) and project partners visit the new street lighting depot on the Kingsway Business Park, where the project will be based.

Work on replacing and upgrading street lighting across Rochdale and Oldham is now underway.

The joint project for Rochdale Borough Council and Oldham Council will see thousands of street lights, signs and bollards replaced over the next 5 years, providing a safer environment and a more energy efficient lighting system.

The programme will be co-ordinated from the councils’ and energy company E.ON’s new base now open on the Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale.

Over 50 new local jobs are being created by the work, which will save costs and carbon via the installation of a high tech Remote Monitoring System (RMS) which allows the lights to be dimmed at off-peak periods, drastically reducing energy consumption.

Rochdale and Oldham decided to work together on the project because many street lights in both boroughs are over 40 years old and need to be replaced. One of the largest metropolitan schemes of its type, the project is in two parts:

A five year capital spending programme involving the replacement of over 40,000 columns across Oldham and Rochdale together with a range of illuminated signs, bollards, beacons and sub way lighting throughout both boroughs.

The maintenance of the whole street light asset for both authorities, for a further 20 years.

Project Director Rob Dawson, from Rochdale’s Impact Partnership which has managed the procurement and start of the contract, said: “Everyone involved wants to create a safer environment for local residents with an increased level of performance for street lighting, whilst making a big contribution to the boroughs’ carbon reduction commitment. We’re looking forward to working with the Community Lighting Partnership.”

Having to report a faulty street light will be a thing of the past too - the system will be able to monitor the energy consumption of the lights, highlighting any potential problems so they can be attended to immediately.

Work begins this week, and 40,000 new lighting columns will be installed within the first five years of the project, along with over 5,000 illuminated traffic signs and bollards. Altogether around 80% of the boroughs’ street lighting columns, bollards and signs will be replaced or upgraded.

Rochdale Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Partnerships, Councillor Jacqueline Beswick said: “Our new energy efficient lighting will save the council money and there will be reduced maintenance costs. The purpose of this project is to invest for the future of residents and businesses in the Oldham and Rochdale area, ensuring a greener, more cost efficient lighting solution for many decades to come.”



The first new lighting columns will be installed on the streets in October, beginning in West Middleton, and in the St Marys area of Oldham.

Michael Woodhead, Managing Director of E.ON's Sustainable Energy business, said inefficient street lighting causes large amounts of wastage: “It’s estimated that inefficient street lighting is responsible for more than 600,000 tonnes of carbon over the last 12 months.

“We’ve already seen examples around the country of local authorities resorting to turning off non-essential street-lights in a bid save money.

“But we believe that this investment that is a blueprint for local authorities across the country, demonstrating considerable reductions in energy consumption and associated costs whilst keeping the lights on and streets safe for residents.”

Other initiatives to recycle existing redundant materials involved in the asset renewal process will be introduced to further minimise waste.

Public information days will be held, giving residents a chance to look at the plans, and find out more about the work. For more information visit:

www.rochdale.gov.uk/streetlights