Hook Road Street Lighting

6.08.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 23rd May 2008

Street lights are still out on a long stretch of Hook Road

As many local people are only too well aware, early in January most of the street lights failed on a long stretch of Hook Road between Lower Court Road and the former St Barnabas' Church Hall - and also in Hurst Road.

County Councillor Colin Taylor asked a formal question about this at SCC's Local Committee in Epsom & Ewell on 10 March and was told they should all be working by the end of March. Observably, this has not happened.

Although new lamp posts have been erected, only a minority of these have been connected so far. Meanwhile two others have failed. Colin counted earlier this week and found 12 not working in Hook Road alone.

Workmen have been observed from time to time digging up the foot-way to connect cables, but the whole operation is proceeding at a snail's pace. Apparently under Margaret Thatcher's 1989 electricity privatisation legislation, EDF (the French State Electricity Company) have a monopoly on such work in this area. Although they have promised to meet the targets they have been set by the Regulator (Ofgem), they seem in no hurry to complete this work.

"I intend asking another formal question at the next Local Committee in June", said Colin. "You need to be an optimist in this job", he added.