Archived decisions

Decision Maker:

Cabinet

Date of Decision:

24 November 2008

Decision Title:

South Coast Street Lighting Private Finance Initiative

Decision Reference:

298

Report From:

Director of Environment

Contact name:

Trevor Wallis

Tel:

023 9244 6510

Email:

[email protected]

1) Summary:

The following decisions were made:

1.1. That changes to the Outline Business Case service specification set out in the report be approved, including:

(i) to replace lighting in most locations with white light fluorescent lamps;

(ii) in low crime, residential areas, to replace lighting on a `1 for 1' basis with lighting levels at or below the low pressure sodium lamps currently in place;

(iii) to specify the installation of remote monitoring equipment on all street lighting columns, with discretion to switch to fixed dimming equipment if the early phases of commissioning show that performance is unsatisfactory and that this cannot be resolved; and

(iv) in low crime, residential areas, lamps to normally be dimmed at 12 midnight by 25% in the first instance.

1.2. That the Director of Environment, in consultation with the Executive Member for Policy and Resources and the Executive Member for Environment, be authorised to agree the final specification to be included in the call for final tenders and to conclude the procurement, provided it remains within the financial limits previously approved by Cabinet in March 2007, to be contained within the overall operational budgets of the Environment Department.

2) Reasons for the decision:

2.1. The Council is procuring the replacement of a substantial part of its street lighting stock through a joint Private Finance Initiative with West Sussex County Council and Southampton City Council.

2.2. The two bidders have submitted their detailed submissions which includes pricing against the standard bid specified by the partners and a number of variant options. The Councils need to set out their final specifications in order to proceed to the call for final tenders.

2.3. During the process of this procurement, the carbon impacts of the original specification have been reviewed and the decision above will result in any energy increase being contained, whilst improving safety through a higher standard of lighting in town centres, main traffic routes and in higher crime locations.

3) Other options considered and rejected:

3.1. Option 1: To retain the specification set out in the Business Case.

(i) Risk Assessment: This would have increased energy usage by up to 30%, which would have both carbon and financial impacts.

3.2. Option 2: Not to specify remote monitoring.

(i) Risk Assessment: The technology is untested on a large scale, and this option would reduce the risk of lights failing to dim. However the scale of procurement will help to bring forward this emerging technology which will give the Council continuous flexibility over dimming levels.

3.3. Option 3: Not to include a switch back to fixed dimming if the first phase of lighting installed with remote monitoring is too problematic.

(i) Risk Assessment: This would increase pressure on the contractor to resolve problems but ultimately a satisfactory performance level may not be achieved within a reasonable time period. If problems with dimming continued throughout and beyond the core investment period of five years, this could impact on public perceptions. However the energy consumption risk would remain the contractor's.

4) Conflicts of Interest:

4.1. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision-maker:

None.

4.2. Conflicts of interest declared by other Executive Members consulted:

None.

5) Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee:

None.

6) Any reasons for the matter being dealt with if urgent :

None.

7) Statement from the Decision Maker:

Approved by:

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Date: 24 November 2008

Chairman of the Cabinet
Councillor T.K. Thornber, CBE