Monday, October 05, 2015

No Street Lighting For Oakham Residential Streets Rutland County Council Highways Suggests It's An Option To Be Considered

No Street Lighting For Oakham Residential Streets Rutland County Council Highways
Suggests It's An Option To Be Considered
















Above could be an Oakham Residential Street soon.




This morning I attended a meeting with a Rutland County
Councillor and staff from Rutland County Council Highways
Department. At Oakham Town Council with other Oakham
Town Councillors.

Rutland County Council is planning to replace most street
lighting throughout Rutland.

They told us they would be providing and maintaining
new lighting and would like all the parish councils
throughout Rutland to contribute towards the power costs
for running the non essential lights.

Rutland County Council consider main road and the retail
area are essential.

Residential areas are not considered essential.

Rutland County Council estimate the cost of powering
these non essential street lights at around £13,000
a year and they would like Oakham Town Council
to consider paying this in full or part.

Oakham Town Councillors asked due to the double
taxation element of this what would happen if we said
no to Rutland County Council, the response was very
typical of Rutland County Council. We were told
the council may decide to switch of the lights in the
residential areas.

This is very typical of RCC they said this when they
asked for money to run the county library in Oakham
this request was turned down and opening hours were
reduced.

Residents in Oakham currently pay the highest council
tax in England.

Rutland County Council is continually cutting what it
provides and never reduces the council tax bill.

If Oakham Town Council is formally asked to contribute
towards this cost it will inevitable have to raise its
precept to collect this money to pass on to RCC this
in my view is not acceptable.

Those present from RCC said other parish council who
contribute towards street lighting are complaining Oakham
does not.

RCC have always provided street lighting for all the
parish council that don't contribute towards the street
lighting. Surely they budgeted for this and the taxpayers
foot the bill.