Decorative lighting in Huntly town centre removed over safety fears
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Aberdeenshire Council is to remove ten decorative lampposts in the centre of Huntly on safety grounds after serious corrosion was discovered in their bases.
The traditional looking lights have been maintained by the council since their installation more than 20 years ago, but were already showing signs of early end of life having developed more regular faults.
However the level of corrosion which has now been located means they will be removed by the Spring.
During the removal process, the council will also undertake a general tidying of the townscape with replacement of some slabs and relocation of bollards to improve access for all users.
Following the recent structural survey of the columns, the Roads Service also carried out a detailed street lighting review to ensure that the light intensity provided is in line with current standards.
Having now concluded that piece of design work, it’s now evident that the larger 8m columns around the perimeter of the Square provide sufficient lighting levels to meet the current standards, therefore there is no requirement to replace the 10 smaller 5m columns.
New LED heads will now be installed and the columns will retain their festive sockets power supply, as will the power source for Huntly’s Christmas tree.
Philip Mckay, Head of Roads and Infrastructure, explained: “In taking these decisions we are mindful that the principal purpose of street lighting is to enhance road safety for all classifications of road user.
“The current lighting around the perimeter of the square provides the appropriate lighting levels to achieve that purpose and installation of additional lighting would therefore not be justified.
“We appreciate that this decision may not be a popular one in the community, but given that good lighting provision will remain in place – and giving due consideration to significant constraints on our budget – we feel this is the appropriate action to take.”
Changes in lighting technology, including the development of LED lamps and efficient reflectors and lantern heads, has allowed Aberdeenshire Council to reduce the number of columns in many of the replacement schemes carried out over the years.
