Street in dark over lights switch-on
Frustrated residents say they are still waiting for new lamps in their Black Country street to be switched on – four months after they were installed.
Margaret Street in West Bromwich has a new and old set of lamps on each side of the road – but only one set of the new lights is working. Residents on the side of the street with an even house number are covered by the old lamps which they claim do not generate as much light as the new style. Residents also say they were left without lights for two weeks in December.
One pensioner is said to have fallen over because the street was left in total darkness during the month.
Resident Denise Ellis, aged 50, has lived in the street for the past 20 years with her husband Trevor, 58. The mother-of-three said: "I just do not think it is good enough and I am very annoyed by it all.
"We have the lights working so we are not totally in the dark, but what is the point in putting these lights in if they are not going to be turned on and working?
"We have been waiting since December for our side to be switched on and we are still waiting for it to happen.
"They are just standing here dormant and not being used – yet on the other side of the road they are working.
"I cannot see why it is so difficult to switch new ones on and turn the old ones off.
"Some of the older residents are quite worried because the lights on our side of the street are just not bright enough."
Last week the Express & Star revealed more than 150 complaints have been made by Sandwell Council about street lights which have not been connected.
Electricity company E:On has an obligation to connect lights that have been installed or replaced by the authority. E.On Spokeswoman Becky Mara said: "We are not aware of any problems in Margaret Street and we have no information about the problem.
"It is therefore difficult for us to comment until we have found out what is happening at the site."
A council spokesman said the lights were the responsibility of E.On.
