- Abertillery Online Discussion Forum -

Rocke · Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 795 Location: Abertillery

You're aware of the Council's plan to switch off some street lighting - and none of it before Midnight. All will be switched back on 1 hour before Dawn. It is a fait acomplis and this is a factual post in the public , hence I've put it here.

This has come around for 3 reasons, as I see it:

1) Energy costs have gone through the roof - I think we've all experienced that;
2) The Settlement from WAG ( what they give us to spend ) doesn't cover the overall services provided, and saving £180,000 by the switch-off means not having to save £180,000 on care workers, teachers and/or any of our employees that are directly involved in providing day-to-day services;
3) Other authorities have done it with seemingly no adverse effects.

The schedule of lights to be switched off has been issued to each Ward Member ( but only those changes thyat affect their Ward, not the whole schedule ). This is intended so that we get a preview and are able to make comments.
Delwyn, Mark and I will be holding briefing sessions/Community Meetings around Cwmtillery Ward to spread the word as far as possible, and to get feedback.

In Cwmtillery Ward the main area(s) affected will be the Industrial Estate (TVF etc ), where all lights will go off at midnight, the 'new road, ie. from the Comp up to the Ind. Estate, Victor Rd & Tyleri Gardens, the main road ( I assume from the traffic lights, which isn't in Cwmtillery ) all the way up to Blaina, the Millennium Business Park and Oak St.
Isolated lights will go off in most other parts of the Ward - these will mainly be where there are sizeable gaps between blocks of houses, such as the top of Alma St and Gwern Berthi Road.

Also note that there may be only some of the lights in the places I've mentioned that are capable of being switched off.

I intend to wander around the Ward when the switch-off starts in order to see the effect it has.

I'll ask my colleagues in other Abertillery area Wards if they want 'their' info. published. It might be a good idea if we get the relevant schedules put in the Library.
I'll be speaking to the relevant manager this later and I'll keep you updated.
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Rocke

admin · Site Admin Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 287

Rockey

I think it would be very useful if you were able to get details of all areas of Aber as you've suggested. If you can, then post them in a separate thread and I'll make it a sticky for a period of time until they become more familiar.

Admin

Rocke · Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 795 Location: Abertillery

Cheers, I'm on the case.................
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Rocke

Rocke · Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 795 Location: Abertillery

I mentioned it at a Group Meeting tonight and the Administration is going to ensure that Libraries will be receiving schedules of the switch-offs for their area(s).

If someone goes to the Library regularly and they're not there by the end of next week let me know and I'll chase it up.
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Rocke

hedleymccarthy · Joined: 27 Aug 2008 Posts: 363

Rocke · Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 795 Location: Abertillery

jools · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 154 Location: just outside Aber

I had my letter from Hedley yesterday telling me that my street's lighting will be turned off....I don't live on an Ind Est.

I mentioned before that previous to the new bright lights being installed in my street youths would congregate at the top of t the street at all hours !! well after midnight sometimes. Things improved thgrough the new lighting and the PACT meetings. Will the decisions be reviewed if nuisance problems start recurring ?

Crying or Very sad

The question has been raised on this forum about 'who will be about after midnight', well the answer is....normally the anti-social element. Rolling Eyes

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Rocke · Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 795 Location: Abertillery

Hi jools.

If there are issues after the switch-off starts make sure your local councillor knows, and if it is a public safety issue have a word with the local bobby, who can feed it into the system via police feedback.

Please PM me with the street you live in, so I can reply with what the schedule says.
As I've mentioned, where there are significant gaps between blocks of houses, even in the same street, these might be liable to switching off.

I'd also be grateful for a copy of letters sent out, in order to check the veracity of them.
My schedule was incorrect ( I had Woodland Terrace Aberbeeg on mine, as well as the Woodland Terrace that really is in Cwmtillery ).
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Rocke

hedleymccarthy · Joined: 27 Aug 2008 Posts: 363

The Abrogator · Joined: 13 Mar 2009 Posts: 31 Location: Llanhilleth

I've been living in Cae Felin Street in Llanhilleth since last autumn. I was concerned when I received the street light switch off letter to find my street was one of those listed as experiencing anti-social behaviour.

So far it's been very quiet here. We'll have to see what happens.

jools · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 154 Location: just outside Aber

You are right the area is very quiet at the moment. Unfortunately that was not the case a couple of years ago, but through working together (residents, local councillors and the police) things have vastly improved (and it's great to hear someone say positive things about the village).

I just wanted to raise the point that anti social elements within the community (that's any community) could take advantage of these changes.
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Rocke · Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 795 Location: Abertillery

Rocke · Joined: 08 May 2008 Posts: 795 Location: Abertillery

Here's the scheduled switch-offs for Llanhilleth.

STREETS AFFECTED BY SWITCH OFF VILLAGE POLITICAL WARD LIGHTS SWITCHED OFF
CAE FELIN STREET LLANHILLETH LLANHILLETH 6
COMMERCIAL RD RR/O CENT HOTEL LLANHILLETH LLANHILLETH 1
FLYOVER ROAD ABERBEEG LLANHILLETH 9
GLANDWR INDUSTRIAL ESTATE ABERBEEG LLANHILLETH 1
INSTITUTE CAR PARK LLANHILLETH LLANHILLETH 10
LLANHILETH STATION CAR PARK LLANHILLETH LLANHILLETH 15
MEADOW STREET LLANHILLETH LLANHILLETH 5
OLD CHURCH ROAD ABERBEEG LLANHILLETH 4
PANTDDU ROAD ABERBEEG LLANHILLETH 4
PARTRIDGE ROAD LLANHILLETH LLANHILLETH 6
RAILWAY STREET LLANHILLETH LLANHILLETH 7
RAILWAY TERRACE LLANHILLETH LLANHILLETH 7
WALPOLE BRIDGE LLANHILLETH LLANHILLETH 8
0
83

You'll notice that Caefelin St. has 6 lights which will be affected.
I'm not totally familiar with the area but I assume that those 6 will be isolated ones or ones in gaps between terraces.

No doubt Cllr. McCarthy will wish to fully enlighten you as to which they are.

The Council's website has a link to the entire schedule on its Homepage.

[url]www.blaenau-gwent.gov .uk[/url] , click the Street lighting switch link on the right-hand side.
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Rocke

jools · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 154 Location: just outside Aber

Thanks for this Rocke.

Unfortunately Caefelin has only 6 lights, no gaps. They are all outside peoples homes, as are all the other 'fields' streets lights. Not one light in the village after 12am after the switch off starts. Sad

Good luck to the local councillors who are fighting this. Den Hughes and Hedley are both against it. Not sure about Mike Bartlett. It's a very unpopular move and I have already heard people saying 'it's the independents doing this'.......
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hedleymccarthy · Joined: 27 Aug 2008 Posts: 363

Interesting to note that Railway Terrace is in Aberbeeg, but bizarrely Pantddu Road is in Caerphilly County Borough Rolling Eyes

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