Firms left in the dark

7:08am Thu Jan 26, 2012

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Businesses along the old stretch of the A46 near Bingham have raised concerns about safety and security following the decommissioning of the road lighting.

All the lights on the Fosse have been switched off, but businesses along the route say they were not informed of the decision.

Nottinghamshire County Council’s highways department has started to remove the lights and posts.

Mr David Frost, owner of DW Frost Wholesale Nurseries Ltd, said: “There was no communication as far as the light switch-off was concerned.

“I have concerns from a security point of view because lights act as a deterrent, although we do still have a 24-hour watchman across the road with the petrol station.”

Mr Frost said he was more concerned about potential safety issues with people turning in and out of businesses that were still open after dark.

Mr Jeremy Randall, marketing manager at Bridgford Garden Centre, said the centre shared the concerns.

Mr Tarlochan Pabla, owner of the Car Colston filling station, said: “How can they take the lights down before the road has been assessed in terms of vehicle use?

“The road has not been reopened yet and traffic flow has not been measured.

“There are different kinds of bulbs, such as anti-glare bulbs, which would not pose a problem to drivers on the new road.”

The county council will adopt the old A46 when the new road is finished.

A spokesman said: “We are removing the lighting because the new road is not lit at this point.

“It would make no sense to have a slip road lit but not the main road as it could cause confusion.

“The old road was originally lit for safety reasons because there was a number of accidents there.

“However, with the new road now built and the vast majority of traffic no longer using the old stretch, there is now no justification from a road safety point of view.

“We will, however, be lighting the roundabouts.

“A road in a rural area with limited development would not normally be lit unless there were other reasons to do so, such as road safety concerns.”

A Highways Agency spokesman, said a road safety audit had been carried out before the lights were switched off to consider the safety aspects for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

“This found that removing the lighting was not deemed to be a concern,” they said.

The spokesman also confirmed only certain strategic sections of the new widened A46 would be lit.