Council accused of wasting energy as dozens of street lights have burned 24 hours a day for months in Central Milton Keynes

More than 50 street light in CMK have been burning day and night for months – while other faulty lights in the city won’t switch on at all.
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And some of the faulty lights are just metres way from the civic offices where MK Council bosses are based, it has been revealed.

CMK Town Council has been complaining to highways bosses at Milton Keynes Council since February but the problem has still not been solved.

They are now demanding the lights be repaired to save council tax payers “significant sums” in energy costs.

Dozens of street lights at Milton Keynes city centre have been switched on day and night for monthsDozens of street lights at Milton Keynes city centre have been switched on day and night for months
Dozens of street lights at Milton Keynes city centre have been switched on day and night for months

And they are urging MK Council to carry out a scrutiny of all the lights in the city that are not working in order that they can be repaired.

This week CMK town councillor David Stabler counted 55 lights that are switched on 25/7 along a two kilometre stretch. These are along Secklow Gate and Silbury Boulevard, between Saxon Gate to Overgate, and also on the footway between the civic offices and Lloyds Court.

He believes they were lit for many weeks before the town council first contacted the Interim Head of Highways at MK Council, Graham Cox, in February to raise the matter. Despite repeated requests, there has been no response, he says.

“I visited CMK this morning and the lights are still burning brightly. This may be in celebration of the MK being granted City status, as a rehearsal for her HMQE’s forthcoming jubilee celebration or Christmas 2022, but that would be a bit premature,” he told the Citizen.

“I suspect the real reason is that no one in the council cares enough to deal with the problem, or is bothered about the cost of leaving so many lights burning during the last four months. Is there any one working in the council who can take ownership and get the problem fixed please?”

An MK Council spokesman told the Citizen: “Due to how MK’s unique city centre streetlights are powered, a fault in a local electricity supply cabinet can affect 20 or more lights. While the electricity supplier is fixing the cabinet, our choice is either to bypass the sensor to keep the lights on all the time, or off all the time. As soon as the cabinet is repaired, the lights go back to their usual setting.

"We’re looking at replacing these streetlights with modern energy efficient versions that still maintain the look and feel of the original, but are easier to maintain.”

But the town council is still not happy.

Mr Stabler said: “The day burners stretch for about 2km. Why did no one notice the lights were on during the day?

“When did MKC contact the regional electricity supplier? Why has it taken three months to fix the problem and when will it be fixed?”

Elsewhere in MK, people have complained that street lights have failed to switch on at all, sometimes for long periods, and this can cause problems with public safety.

If you have faulty street lights in you area, let us know and we will pass the details on to MK Council. Or you can report directly here.