New plans for Staffordshire’s street lighting service could save around £600,000 a year, while keeping streetlights safe and reliable.
Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet will consider the plans on 18 November. The council is proposing to appoint one company to run the service when its current 25-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract ends in May 2028.
The council would work with Stoke-on-Trent City Council to find a contractor, to ensure both councils get better value for money. Working with Stoke also means the asset base is bigger, potentially making it more appealing to contractors.
Staffordshire would still own its streetlights and equipment, and will still decide how money is spent and what standard of service is provided.
The county council’s financial plans already include a saving of around £600,000 a year from April 2028. Any new contract would have to confirm it can operate within the existing PFI budget, less the approved £600,000 saving.
Companies would be invited to bid for the work to establish the actual costs. Before awarding the contract, the council would check that it can afford the service and confirm how the saving will be made.
Councillor Peter Mason, Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, said:
“Street lights help keep our roads and communities safe. We need to plan ahead so the new service is ready when the current contract ends. Working with Stoke-on-Trent will help us find a contractor more efficiently and encourage companies to bid for the work. Staffordshire will still make its own decisions about its street lighting service.
“There is still plenty to do before the new service starts in 2028. Our priority is to keep street lights safe and reliable and get the best value for Staffordshire taxpayers.”
The county council looks after around 95,000 street lights and a further 12,400 lit signs, bollards and other electrical equipment. The new contract would cover maintenance, emergency call-outs, inspections, testing and cleaning. It would also include planned replacement work, with the highest-risk equipment replaced first.
If approved, the contract would last four years. It could be extended for up to another four years if the service performs well, remains affordable and gets the necessary approval.
The new service must start in May 2028.
(Picture: Staffordshire County Council)
