New street lights in Manea prompt warning to Chatteris Council from village councillor

A Manea councillor has issued a dire warning over replacement street lights to a neighbouring council following complaints from village residents.

Councillor Charlie Marks attended Tuesday’s meeting of Chatteris Town Council where he spoke about the problems being faced by villagers after a decision by Cambridgeshire County Council to replace the street lights it owns in the village with LED lights.

Balfour Beatty, the county council’s street lights contractor, has been busily replacing lights in Scholars Close, Hutchinson Way, Teachers Close and Orchard Way in Manea over the past week.

Cllr Marks said the replacement lights have sparked numerous complaints from residents and has prompted him to write a freedom of information request to Cambridgeshire County Council asking for details about the new lights including the difference in the illumination compared to the old ones.

He has also asked what trials were carried out before the decision to change the lights was made by the county authority and also what the cost of the new units is

Speaking at Chatteris Town Council Cllr Marks said the new lights only appear to light the area immediately around them.

He said: “The light appears to be just on the floor beneath the lamp post – a few yards along and it is black and people are complaining – it’s certainly not good.”

Cllr Marks continued the new lights seem to be giving at least 50% illumination than the ones they have replace and the light plays are totally inadequate.

He said residents in the areas affected are concerned about security and the risk of break-ins. There are also worries that people might trip over on the unlit areas of the paths.

Other concerns include the fact many of the lights that have just been replaced were only installed three to five years ago and therefore people feel the new lights are a waste of money.

Cllr Marks told Chatteris councillors: “I only bring this to your attention because I understand the county council is going to replace all its lights and Chatteris could be next and you might like to be prepared.”

Cllr Sue Unwin said there had been attempts to replace the town’s heritage lamp posts a few years ago but that had been halted, however, she said: “I’m prepared to chain myself to the lamp posts if they try to get rid of them. I know they say they want to put LEDs in place to look after the world, but we don’t want those silver things, we like our heritage lamp posts.”

Cllr Marks added that he understood the new lights were 6 lumens rather than the 24 lumens required by planning policy for new developments.

“It seems they are asking developers for one thing and then doing something different to save money themselves and people are not happy.”