AN MP has hit out at plans by Lancashire County Council to review the way it maintains street lights.

The council carries out routine inspections on street lights and illuminated signs and bollards once every fortnight between October and March, and once every month for the rest of the year.

It also responds to reports over the phone or through the online Report It! tool.

But a consultation has been launched by the authority until June 17 where it proposes stopping carrying out night-time inspections in favour of routine tests of street lights every 10 years, rather than every five years as it does at the moment.

Also it is proposed to keep the current five-day target for responding to faults whenever they’re reported.

Bosses say they want to change the way they maintain street lights following the introduction of more reliable LED lamps. About 103,000 of the county’s 151,000 street lights are now upgraded to LEDs.

But Hyndburn MP Graham Jones said: “There are multiple drawbacks to the scheme – not least the compromising of the safety of both residents and drivers.

“Street lighting is vital to public safety and preventing traffic accidents.

“Through the removal of night-time inspections, Lancashire County Council will be relying solely on people reporting street lighting issues instead of routine inspections.

“This is simply not good enough.

“Many residents do not report such issues and through relying on the public reporting it through the council website or phone line, I have doubts that these concerns will be given the priority it needs.

“I urge people to respond to the consultation and let the council know of their opposition to these plans.”

Lancashire County Council is proposing to save £2.1m over two years from the budget for street lighting maintenance.

Mr Jones is worried about waiting for responses from the public will lead to problems.

He said: “I believe that this approach will result in slower action and more unlit streets.

“Relying on complaints as opposed to a night-time inspection spotting will mean lights will not be fixed quickly enough if there is an added level of council bureaucracy.

“The situation is absurd. Council workers should be able to fix a light if they see it is not working.

“The onus cannot solely be on the public, as the council proposes.

“While it is more convenient for users, given the long waiting times on the Lancashire County Council phone lines I do not believe that each street light that is not working will be reported and fixed as quickly as they currently are now.”

County Cllr Keith Iddon, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Like many councils, we are facing an extremely challenging financial position, with a forecasted funding gap of £144m in 2021/22.

“We’re committed to providing the best services we can, and particularly to protecting services for our most vulnerable people, which is why we’re looking to save money by making services more efficient wherever possible.

“We’re proposing to change the way we maintain street lights due to LED lamps being much more reliable than the traditional sodium type, responding to any faults reactively rather than carrying out regular night-time inspections.

“However, we want to make sure we’ve considered all the potential impacts, and give people the chance to tell us if they think this will affect them,before making a decision.”

People can respond to the consultation at www.lancashire.gov.uk/haveyoursay.