Highways admit East Sussex street lights remain broken after five weeks - despite being reported as 'fixed'

Councillor Stephen Shing has criticised East Sussex County Council over streetlights on Anderida Road and Seven Sisters Road that have remained out of operation for around five weeks, despite repairs being reported as completed.

Under reference STR013729, East Sussex Highways stated that repairs had been completed and the case closed. However, the streetlights remain off, and residents have still not been given a clear explanation or a date for full repairs.

Resident Elaine contacted the County Council on Wednesday 21 October and was reportedly told there were no records of faulty streetlights in the area. She was given a further reference number, STR013799.

Another resident contacted UK Power Networks (UKPN) after speaking to the County Council but was disappointed to be told that UKPN could not discuss the matter with her. She also reported that Councillor Shing had been told the streetlights had been repaired, despite them remaining out of operation.

Councillor Shing said: “ The streetlights in Anderida Road and Seven Sisters Road have been out for around five weeks. This is simply not acceptable, and residents have been badly let down by East Sussex County Council.

What is particularly concerning is that the case has been marked as completed when the streetlights remain off. Residents are receiving conflicting information, and no firm date has been given for the repairs to be completed.

Residents deserve better. They should not have to chase different organisations for answers while their streets remain in darkness. I am calling on East Sussex Highways to establish the cause of the problem, clarify what work has been carried out and provide a firm date for restoring the streetlights.

I will continue to press for urgent action until the lights are working again. Streetlight repairs would normally be expected to take around 10 days, yet residents have now been left in darkness for over five weeks. Even more concerning, County Highways has still not clearly identified the cause or location of the fault. This is simply unacceptable, and residents deserve answers and a firm timetable for repairs.”

An East Sussex Highways spokesperson said: “There is currently a problem with power supply to the streetlights in this area and the issue with UKPN to address. When we originally investigated the cause, a repair was carried out by us on one of the streetlights, but this did not rectify the problem.”