After over 4 years of lobbying for public lighting across the district – we finally received a report of the councils assessment of priority areas to be completed this year.
Needless to say I’m hugely disappointed that the Green Road, Eyre Street and Morristown are not included in the council’s initial plans. Costs of lighting for the Green Road, Newbridge are estimated at €75k.
All is not lost yet however as Senior Officer in Roads section Evelyn Wright assured me at our Council meeting earlier that she will seek funding for Green Road lighting elsewhere
There have been significant increases in the public lighting budget in the last couple of years. I will be asking that part of the public lighting budget for next years annual budget (negotiated this autumn) will be ring-fenced specifically to fund NEW public lighting in the district.
I attach below the details of how the Council identifies priority areas through its Kildare Lighting Infrastructure Priority Schedule (KLIPS)
The Council cited as shortage of human resources and the moratorium on public appointments as reason for the delay to this point. However, an senior executive engineer position has been agreed and the Council are awaiting the appointment of that person by the Public Appointments System. Cllrs at today’s meeting offered to write to the PAS to impress upon them the urgency of the need to fill the appointment. Officials say they are in regular contact already and are pushing to have the appointment filled ASAP.