First lighting columns installed

The borough's first new street lights are installed on Bonscale Crescent. Councillor Jacqueline Beswick, Cabinet Member for Partnerships met with Eon PFI Manager Greg Watson as the first column is installed.

The first new lighting columns have been installed in the borough as a major project to replace and upgrade old street lighting across Rochdale and Oldham continues.

Residents of Langley, Middleton will be the first to benefit, with new columns now being erected throughout the area.

Cabinet Member for Partnerships, Councillor Jacqueline Beswick, visited Bonscale Crescent in Middleton this week where the installations have started.

She said: “I think everyone involved wants to see a safe environment for local residents, both here in Middleton and across the whole borough, and good street lighting is a very important part of this.

“This new lighting will also be making a big contribution to the borough’s carbon reduction commitment. Our new energy efficient lighting will save the council money and there will be reduced maintenance costs.”

This joint Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project between Rochdale Borough Council, Oldham Council and energy company E.ON will see thousands of street lights, signs, beacons, bollards and sub way lighting replaced by 2016, providing a safer environment and a more energy efficient lighting system.

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

The new columns won’t look much different but it’s the technology being used that makes the difference. They are expected to save costs as well as carbon with innovations such as high tech remote monitoring which allows the lights to be dimmed at off-peak periods. 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.

Greg Watson PFI Manager from E.ON Energy, said: “It’s a great sight to see the new team starting work to provide a safer environment and a more energy efficient lighting system for the residents and businesses in Oldham and Rochdale.

“The investment locally is a blueprint for local authorities across the country, delivering considerable reductions in energy consumption and costs whilst keeping the lights on and streets safe for residents.”

Lighting columns will continue to be installed in the first phase of the Middleton scheme until July 2012 and will be fully operational within two weeks of installation.

Once work has been completed in Middleton, the project will move to Smallbridge and Firgrove, where work is scheduled to start next summer.

Public information days will be held in advance, 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