Streetlights Mead Lane

Clubs and societies, neighbourhood and social issues
jenny123
Posts:3
Joined:Fri 04 Nov, 2016 10:00 am
Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by jenny123 » Mon 21 Nov, 2016 5:04 pm

Apologies if this is not the correct area to post. I work at one of the many offices down Mead Lane and live in Hertford. I walk to and from work every day as my journey is only 20 mins and its quicker to walk then drive. I also do not have access to a car every day. After working late one evening it came to my attention that at least 4 of the street lights down Mead Lane were out, meaning it was pitch black. This was the week before the clocks changed. I reported this on the fault reporting tool on HCC Highways website explaining that i was concerned that once the clocks change there would be a lot of people who work on the estate having to walk home in the pitch black. On the 28th October i was advised that they had established there was a connection fault and handed the matter to UK Power Networks. I contacted UK Power Networks who do have the fault report but at this date still do not appear to have rectified it. I have spoken to HCC Highways again today and they have assured me that they will follow it up and come back to me.

Nobody appears to appreciate that is quite dangerous. I have got used to the lights going off at midnight though i can't say i am still the biggest fan, but to have to put up with walking down a road which is dark at the best of times in pitch black at 5.30 - 6PM in the evening i don't think is acceptable. Walking home one night the other week a colleague nearly went flying over a black sofa which someone had dumped in the middle of the path (different issue i grant you) but had the road been lit she would have at least seen it was there. We are walking home from work with handheld torches.

What i wondered is does anyone know who would be the best person to contact should HCC Highways / UK Power Networks fail to act any time soon. Local counselor/Mercury?

highwood38
Posts:52
Joined:Mon 20 Oct, 2014 5:14 pm

Re: Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by highwood38 » Mon 21 Nov, 2016 10:28 pm

They're supposed to fix it in 20 working days, though admittedly it does just say they "aim to achieve that".

http://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/service ... imescales/

They really are useless at maintaining a safe environment to walk in at night - Bengeo is so dark because the street lights are all half blocked by trees.

xnetco
Posts:27
Joined:Sun 01 Jun, 2014 4:02 pm

Re: Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by xnetco » Sun 27 Nov, 2016 6:14 pm

jenny123 wrote:Apologies if this is not the correct area to post. I work at one of the many offices down Mead Lane and live in Hertford. I walk to and from work every day as my journey is only 20 mins and its quicker to walk then drive. I also do not have access to a car every day. After working late one evening it came to my attention that at least 4 of the street lights down Mead Lane were out, meaning it was pitch black. This was the week before the clocks changed. I reported this on the fault reporting tool on HCC Highways website explaining that i was concerned that once the clocks change there would be a lot of people who work on the estate having to walk home in the pitch black. On the 28th October i was advised that they had established there was a connection fault and handed the matter to UK Power Networks. I contacted UK Power Networks who do have the fault report but at this date still do not appear to have rectified it. I have spoken to HCC Highways again today and they have assured me that they will follow it up and come back to me.

Nobody appears to appreciate that is quite dangerous. I have got used to the lights going off at midnight though i can't say i am still the biggest fan, but to have to put up with walking down a road which is dark at the best of times in pitch black at 5.30 - 6PM in the evening i don't think is acceptable. Walking home one night the other week a colleague nearly went flying over a black sofa which someone had dumped in the middle of the path (different issue i grant you) but had the road been lit she would have at least seen it was there. We are walking home from work with handheld torches.

What i wondered is does anyone know who would be the best person to contact should HCC Highways / UK Power Networks fail to act any time soon. Local counselor/Mercury?
This concerns me too. I put an issue in on the 14th of October as I'm concerned for some of my female staff that have to walk down there. I'll email them again.

jenny123
Posts:3
Joined:Fri 04 Nov, 2016 10:00 am

Re: Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by jenny123 » Tue 29 Nov, 2016 12:13 pm

They still haven't been fixed and there just doesn't seem to be any urgency from UK Power Networks or HCC Highways to sort it out. Thanks for contacting them too i would be surprised if they haven't had a lot of these comments and complaints.

I did email The Mercury last week but haven't had a response. Then again i don't think they are even local anymore are they. Not sure they would even know or care where Mead Lane is.

Kateg28
Posts:254
Joined:Tue 03 Dec, 2013 9:53 am

Re: Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by Kateg28 » Wed 30 Nov, 2016 9:23 am

I complained about the lights in the Tesco walkway from the station as they were out. I complained on Twitter and ended up having great fun with them, pointing out they sold light bulbs etc. I also played the safety card saying that it was scary walking along in complete darkness.

It took a year to get them fixed and that was a private firm!

newcomer
Posts:118
Joined:Mon 02 Dec, 2013 11:00 am

Re: Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by newcomer » Wed 30 Nov, 2016 8:14 pm

jenny123 wrote:I did email The Mercury last week but haven't had a response. Then again i don't think they are even local anymore are they. Not sure they would even know or care where Mead Lane is.
There was a time when they would scour this forum for stories! Do you do the twitter? :) I think it's how things seem to work these days.

You can tweet their "Chief Reporter" (of many titles!) at @JournoSMeadows or the paper itself at @HertsMercury.

Peter Ruffles
Posts:1
Joined:Thu 01 Dec, 2016 12:38 pm

Re: Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by Peter Ruffles » Thu 01 Dec, 2016 2:00 pm

The Mead Lane area is part of the Division of Hertford I represent as one of the town's two County Councillors.
I tapped a tweet, yesterday, in reply to people on this quite big issue, but hadn't previously known of lighting issues in Mead Lane, just Mill Road. Grateful to be able to say a little more, here. But the message is still 'Please join me by 'subscribing' to the faults I have already reported with two street lights in Mill Road'. Both are near the Dicker Mill bend and therefore particularly important for road traffic, and for pedestrians making their way towards Bengeo. I'll report also on any lights still out in Mead Lane, after I've been down to get details tonight.
Everyone has to use the single route in to report. The Call Centre will receive a message by telephone (0300 123 4047) and email CSCHighways@hertfordshire.gov.uk but I use the on-line map plotting system for greater accuracy. You avoid having a description of the location misunderstood! For this, go to HCC Website and find HighwayFaults reporting. (email me on peter.ruffles@hertfordshire.gov.uk. if you need sharper instructions).
The days are gone in Local Government when I could speak direct as a Councillor with a local officer to chase fault repairs. I have to report in the same way as everyone else these days. However, there IS one officer dedicated to fault report chasing for all members. She has to field 'chases' from all 77 of us from all over Hertfordshire. She is already 'chasing' the two Mill Road 'outs' for me. (In fact they are 'never been ons', I believe). It looks as if it is the power supply which is the problem in these two cases, but I'm not certain about that. That is always the point at which chasing a routine fault becomes the saga we have here.

newgirl
Posts:51
Joined:Fri 13 Dec, 2013 10:09 am

Re: Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by newgirl » Thu 01 Dec, 2016 5:47 pm

Inspired by this thread I have been online and reported the street lamp out on Park Road and the other lamps in the same street obscured by vegetation. I have also reported the overhanging branches which make use of the subway between Marks and Spencers and Greencoates a hazardous journey. I actually went down with my own secateurs last year and cut the pyracanthas back so the children could walk more than one a breast on their way to school. I keep forgetting to take the shears shopping with me this year.

Now I just need a handy app to enable me to report persistent verge and yellow line parking in Park Road, if that could be arranged Mr Ruffles? :lol:

Kateg28
Posts:254
Joined:Tue 03 Dec, 2013 9:53 am

Re: Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by Kateg28 » Fri 02 Dec, 2016 9:34 am

Good to see a County Councillor on these pages. Hello Peter!

Before I moved to Hertford I was under the district of Roger Beeching who is a lovely man and was really helpful when we were stranded by a village bus timetable change. We should use our councillors more (in a constructive way, not just as a moan).

xnetco
Posts:27
Joined:Sun 01 Jun, 2014 4:02 pm

Re: Streetlights Mead Lane

Post by xnetco » Fri 02 Dec, 2016 9:27 pm

The lights have been fixed

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