Light at end of tunnel for Inverness estate residents in dark since mid-October
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RESIDENTS who had no streetlights in parts of their estate throughout the darkest winter nights are hoping repairs will be carried out as promised last week.
The streetlights in Meadowfield Avenue and Inshes Mews in Wester Inshes have been out since mid-October, raising fears the area could be a potential target for criminals.
Work was ongoing this week and will continue next week. Some lights were out due to ongoing faults and some which had been missed from the original design are being installed, it is understood.
Furious residents believe they have become collateral damage in a 16-year dispute between the council and developer RF More Properties.
Since the lights failed, a number of residents contacted Highland Council’s lighting department and were told that, because the roads have not been adopted by the council, it has no obligation to repair them.
The lighting department sent RF More Properties an invoice for the cost of them undertaking initial investigation works.
These works were completed before a section of the streetlights went off again, at which time the lighting department informed residents there was extensive damage to the cable system which would require significant repairs.
They added that no further action would be taken until the invoice for the works is paid by RF More.
Resident Ross Balfour said: “Given the fact that in the past 16 years RF More has failed to bring the roads to an acceptable standard for the council to adopt them, myself and other residents are sceptical that a resolution will be found any time soon.
“To put it bluntly, the Highland Council lighting department have effectively told residents that they are washing their hands of the matter until a payment is made.”
He added: “More than 16 years after the first residents moved in, the total inaction from all parties has angered residents who feel that the only way forward is to bring attention to the issue through the press.”
There is now hope that a solution has been found and work on repairing the lights was due to begin on Wednesday last week.
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “Regarding the RF More development at Inshes, the street lighting in the development which includes Cloverfield Road and Park, Meadowfield Park and Avenue, Hayfield Avenue and Inshes Mews, has not been adopted by Highland Council lighting due to having a number of outstanding faults/defects which have been highlighted to RF More over a number of years but never rectified by the developer.
“RF More has recently been in touch with Highland Council lighting to ask if the council can make the required fault investigation repairs to get the lighting back into operation and to an adoptable standard.
“The council has been in negotiation with RF More regarding their request for the remedial works to bring the lighting up to an adoptable standard and works are now programmed to commence in late January (weather dependent) to finally allow the lighting infrastructure in the development to be adopted by Highland Council lighting.”
A spokesperson for RF More said they did not know why the lights suddenly failed, but that the pavements were being dug up by a company installing fibre broadband cabling.
They were in touch with the council before Christmas, they said, but progress had been stalled due to e festive break.
“We are hopeful that all works will be adopted (by the council) soon,” they added.
