Barely one in 10 street lighting repairs in Helensburgh and Lomond were carried out within 10 days during the last three months of 2018, a report has revealed.
An area scorecard produced by Argyll and Bute Council also shows that across the whole of the authority, only a quarter of street lighting faults were fixed within 10 days during October, November and December.
Both figures – 11% in Helensburgh and Lomond, and 25% for the whole of the council area – were set against a target of 75%.
In the case of Helensburgh and Lomond, the latest figure represents a steep decline in performance – from a figure of 69% for the previous three months.
The scorecard, which also records that car parking income in Helensburgh and Lomond is more than £13,000 short of its target, will be considered at the Helensburgh and Lomond area committee’s meeting on Thursday.
In relation to the figure of 11% in Helensburgh and Lomond, a report on the scorecard says that staff sickness and annual leave were a factor.
It adds: “Our ability to utilise staff and an electrician from another area was limited due to Christmas light installations and some major faults affecting large number of street lights in a single locus/area.
“Cabling faults requiring dig-ups and repairs meant that dark lamps could not be attended within desired timeframes.
“Recruitment exercise is being undertaken that will be the squad back to full strength and enable repair timescales to be better achieved.”
The ‘scorecard’ report for the three months from July to September had stated: “Overall performance has improved, though sickness absence has had an effect in western domains.
“Full compliment of staff and operatives should be available from Monday, October 22. We would look to see continuous improvement in financial quarter three.”
On the most recent overall Argyll and Bute figure, it added: “Due to transformation, overdue jobs have increased slightly. Vacancies are being filled, therefore there will be a focus on reducing the overdue jobs.”
Meanwhile, a total of £156,047 was received in car parking income in Helensburgh and Lomond in the nine months of the financial year until the end of December . This is short of a target of £169,491.
Argyll and Bute’s overall ‘year to date’ total at the same stage of the financial year was £800,441, measured against a target of £834,808.
The report said of Helensburgh and Lomond’s figure: “The shortfall may be, in part, due to a delay in income arising from the new ‘pay by phone’ system.
“However, it should be noted that the shortfall may result in not achieving the forecast income for the financial year.”
On the overall Argyll and Bute total, it added: “The breakdown of the shortfall is minus £20,000 for decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) and minus £15,000 for parking receipts.
“The DPE shortfall may be down to better driver behaviour generating less parking charge notices as they begin to follow the council’s parking rules.
“The shortfall in parking receipts is more difficult to explain. It may be due to poor weather, lack of events or other unknowns.”
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