Question to Chief Executive:

To ask the CE on an update on the current management arrangements for public lighting in the city, and in particular what climate action measure are being taken and what contractors are being engaged with? (Cllr Kieran McCarthy).

Reply:

The Public Lighting Framework adopted 2021 by the City Council identifies three strategic pillars with regards to the provision of public lighting:
• Asset management
• Service provision
• Energy reduction.
In relation to Energy Reduction, Cork City Council have identified the need to change public lighting lanterns to LEDs to help reduce the energy consumption related to the provision of this service. As part of our tendered public lighting annual maintenance contract works a small percentage of lights are converted to LED annually. Additional funding, to accelerate the changeover of 1,000 additional old SON/SOX lanterns to LED, was put in place mid-2022 and this accelerated programme will be implemented over a 12-month period.

As a result of this incremental approach, at the end of October 2022, approximately 40% of the public lighting network has been fitted with LED lanterns. In 2022 alone Cork City Council has upgraded 2,500 lanterns (approx. 10%) from old SON/SOX lanterns to LED. In addition, a dimming profile, where lanterns are dimmed to 75% output from midnight onwards, in also in operation on some street lights. A combination of the above interventions has resulted in a reduction of the energy used powering public lighting in the City, dropping from 95.87watts to 84.59 watts in 2022 alone.

The Public Lighting Department of the Operations Directorate is preparing further proposals in terms of a Public Lighting Strategy to tackle legacy electrical issues, old public lighting column issues and the replacement of the remaining old SON/SOX lanterns and converting them to LED. The delivery of this strategy will be subject to securing the required funding for this replacement project.

David Joyce,
Director of Services,
Roads & Environment Operations Directorate