Tree lighting on Preston’s Fishergate and Corporation Street is being restored after a series of faults cut power to the illuminated trees. The system was disconnected when water ingress damaged the supporting infrastructure beneath the footway.
Decorative uplighting fixed around urban trees can seem straightforward from the street. The challenge lies in hidden elements such as cabling, joints and seals that keep live equipment dry. In this case, water had entered the system through failed housings and aged fittings. The resulting faults made it unsafe and unreliable, prompting disconnection.
What happened below ground
The faults were not caused by the bulbs or the light fittings themselves. Instead, water ingress compromised seals and connections in the cabling infrastructure. Water in electrical systems causes failures first and safety concerns soon after, forcing engineers to switch off the feature.
For pedestrians, the loss of lighting changes the street’s character. The tree lighting originally added as part of a broader city-centre upgrade gave Fishergate and Corporation Street a softer, more inviting feel after dark. Without illumination, the streets appear flatter and less welcoming.
Maintaining street lighting beyond columns
The illuminated trees were installed following a civic redesign that introduced green features where previously none existed. The lighting was intended to enhance these trees and extend their impact into the evening.
This illustrates a wider maintenance issue common to public realm upgrades. Features like trees and integrated lighting require ongoing management. Electrical components exposed to weather age rapidly if moisture invades, turning a planned improvement into a list of repairs.
Street lighting has evolved from simple columns and lanterns to more complex designs involving feature columns and integrated uplighting. This increases the number of potential failure points and maintenance demands.
Similar challenges are seen elsewhere in the UK. Leicester, for example, has recently reviewed its city-centre lighting to address modern requirements for place-making as well as visibility.
Restoring the original design intent
By fixing the faults caused by water ingress, Preston city authorities will return the tree lighting to its original state on both streets. The system had to be switched off when it became unsafe and unreliable.
For local businesses and regular visitors, the return of the lighting signals maintenance catching up with the ambitions of previous upgrades. The technical issues matter but the social effect is more visibly felt. As the lights come back on, Fishergate and Corporation Street will regain the softer, more attractive evening atmosphere they had before.
