Wiltshire Street Light Repair Times What Causes the Delays?

A street light stopped working in November. Residents felt unsafe at night because it was the only light on their road. Someone reported it repeatedly through My Wilts and emailed Wiltshire Council many times. The light finally worked again last week.

This made them think about street light repair times, particularly since this specific light needed underground work. The power company, SSE, had to get involved. They asked the council about overall repair times, specifically about SSE’s involvement and what the longest wait time might be.

Wiltshire uses a contractor for street light repairs. The contractor should check the fault within five days and repair it during the first visit, if possible. That sounds quite efficient, right?

Actually, the average repair time is 26 days, meaning some people wait over a month. If SSE must help, it takes over two months. The longest wait? A Salisbury City Centre street light.

Someone reported it in August 2023, and it still needs fixing due to “access difficulties.” Perhaps it would be faster to fix somewhere else. The community deserves better service, and current suppliers should provide better value. Priorities should be addressed faster locally.