Faults affecting ScottishPower-owned street-lighting cables in East Lothian can leave multiple lighting columns in the dark for up to four weeks. This has become a major source of complaints for the council.
The problem is not unusual. Around one third of street-lighting cabling in East Lothian is maintained by ScottishPower, which means faults on these cables can cause blackouts over large areas rather than isolated lamp failures.
Multiple lights fail at once
A single cable fault often affects several columns, causing extended outages. Residents see unlit streets and assume the council is responsible, but in many cases the fault lies within ScottishPower's electricity distribution network.
Council officers report that repair times for faults affecting multiple lights can reach up to four weeks. Single-unit faults may take longer to fix, prolonging outages and testing public confidence in the street-lighting service.
Replacing ScottishPower cables
East Lothian council is now considering replacing the ScottishPower-owned cables with its own network. The move would allow the authority to manage and maintain a larger part of the infrastructure directly, potentially speeding up repairs and reducing outages.
This proposal addresses a longstanding issue with divided ownership of street-lighting infrastructure, which complicates asset management and accountability.
Ageing columns add to challenges
More than 5,000 lighting columns in East Lothian have exceeded their expected service life, roughly one in four of the total network. The council estimates replacing these columns would cost around £14 million.
Currently, funding allows for about 200 column replacements each year, meaning it would take decades to clear this backlog.
Despite this, the council has converted 99% of street lights to LED, cutting energy costs by 60%. However, upgrading lanterns alone does not resolve issues with ageing columns and cabling.
Complex network, split responsibilities
Street-lighting infrastructure includes columns, cabling, electricity supply, and control equipment. With different ownership between council and ScottishPower, the public often cannot distinguish who is responsible for faults.
This situation is common across UK highways, where responsibility divides between councils, utility companies, contractors and network operators. Prolonged outages from third-party assets reduce public confidence in councils despite limited control.
SP Energy Networks response
SP Energy Networks, which operates the electricity distribution network in the area, acknowledges the frustration caused by faults affecting multiple lights. It notes repair times depend on the fault type, network condition, location, excavation needs and traffic management arrangements.
Considering greater control
Taking ownership of cabling would not solve the problem of ageing columns but could reduce outage durations by giving East Lothian more control over supply faults.
The council is weighing whether the benefits of cable replacement justify the investment, aiming to improve public service and reduce the number of long-lasting blackouts that affect resident safety and confidence.
