Street lighting faults in High Wycombe and Marlow caused by failure of underground cables

A failure of the underground electrical supply cables is causing a high number of street lighting faults across Buckinghamshire particularly in High Wycombe and Marlow.

In November 2018 there were 20 underground faults identified. The cable networks are owned and maintained by the electricity utility companies for the area. The utility companies are required to carry out repairs within 28 working days.

Many of the faults affect a whole area of lighting rather than being isolated to single street lights.

The Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) areas of High Wycombe and Marlow are particularly affected by the issue, the reason for which is still under investigation.

Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) is working closely with the electricity companies who have equipment within Buckinghamshire to resolve the issues as and when they are reported, however the repairs can take some time and be complex in nature. TfB is also trialling solar powered temporary lighting solutions where practicable and most needed.

Deputy Leader and Transport Cabinet Member Mark Shaw said: ‘I understand how frustrating these street lighting issues can be but want to reassure you that we are doing all we can to resolve them.

I apologise for the inconvenience these outages are causing but I am confident that the utilities companies in question are working as hard as they can to resolve the issue and continue delivering normal service across Buckinghamshire.‘