Lights Out!
Remember the song by Vaughn Monroe ‘When the lights go on all
over the world’ which was sung by Gracie Fields during the 40s. In those days
the very thought of showing even a flicker of light could cause serious
consequences not only to our selves, but those around us. If any one turned on
the light or didn’t pull the black out curtains in time, someone would yell
‘Turn that ruddy light out’. We had to stay indoors at night because it was
unsafe to venture out after dark. How we longed for the day when we could keep
the streetlights on.
Today we look at another war, where we are fighting to keep the town lights on
in Folkestone. Our people are once again afraid to go out after dark in case
they are mugged, or have a fall because there are so many streetlights that are
not working, thus impeding their freedom of movement and social interaction.
This became a serious issue in my Ward where an elderly couple were mugged. I
set out to drive around the Lynwood area aided by a concerned resident Eleven
lights were found to be out, in a radius of half a mile. When I promptly
reported these to the Kent Highways department, I was informed that some of the
lights had been reported to them as far back as last September. They stated that
they should be repaired within a week to ten days.
But there’s more. When I phoned Highways again because I felt uncomfortable with
the situation and I begged the question of how many staff were employed to
repair the lights, they informed me that there was only one person employed in
the whole of Shepway to carry out the repairs.
To add insult to injury if the repair man’s tail lift could not do the job,
because of the position of the light, special scaffolding called a zip tower was
to be used, and there is only one of these towers for the whole of Kent.
If you find you have a light out in your area make a note of the number of the
lamp post. If there is no number showing because it has been painted over (‘tut
tut’) take note of the house number it is outside and report it to the hot line
given below.
I will definitely be touring the rest of Park Ward to see how many more lights
are out - I strongly advise other Councillors do the same. – and I will be
reporting the above to the next Finance and General Purposes Committee of
Folkestone Town Council at the next meeting on Thursday 22nd February.
Come on Kent Highways, ‘Digitus Extractum’ lets have a little light on our
subjects. Turn the ruddy lights ON.
Kent Highways hot line: 08458 247800,
Cllr Ann Berry, Park Ward
Article from Go Folkestone Newsletter March 2007
