Reduced street lighting maintenance could jeopardise UK smart city ambitions

Industry leaders have warned that the rush to reduce street lighting maintenance following widespread LED adoption is putting critical infrastructure at risk and could derail smart city plans across the UK.

As local authorities grapple with unprecedented budget pressures – councils' overall core funding is projected to be 9% lower in real terms and 18% lower per person than at the start of the 2010s – many are minimising or eliminating routine maintenance of LED street lighting installations. Experts caution that this cost-cutting measure could have significant long-term consequences.

While LED technology offers significant energy savings and extended operational life, the reduction in maintenance programmes overlooks the crucial role of street lighting columns in supporting smart city infrastructure.

An investigation by TRT Lighting suggests that a typical mid-sized local authority maintains stocks of up to 140 different types of streetlight luminaires, amounting to over 1,000 individual units in storage. This complexity, combined with reduced maintenance schedules, creates operational inefficiencies and ties up substantial public funds in idle inventory.

"Where smart city initiatives are being developed, we need to ensure our lighting infrastructure is robust enough to support these new technologies," commented Ross Evans, Managing Director of TRT Lighting. 

"That means maintaining not just the lights, but the entire supporting infrastructure. The integration of EV charging, environmental monitoring, and telecommunications equipment demands a more rigorous approach to maintenance, not less."

The challenge is further complicated by upcoming changes to local authority procurement frameworks in spring 2025. These changes will emphasise broader value considerations beyond simple cost reduction, potentially reshaping how councils approach infrastructure maintenance.

"It's not just about cost any more for local authorities," said Michala Medcalf, Street Lighting Manager at Derby City Council. 

"Local authorities should be looking at sustainability and social value – and that includes maintaining our assets responsibly for the long term."

A recent industry white paper examining street lighting maintenance trends suggests that integrating street lighting with emerging technologies like EV charging will necessitate more frequent inspections and maintenance, directly challenging the current trend towards minimal maintenance schedules.