Northamptonshire County Council, Cllr Chris Stanbra, has today exposed the cost the new PFI deal for street lights.
Cllr Stanbra has revealed that the annual cost of the PFI is 48% higher than the current street light budget, but there will be 20,000 fewer streetlights than there were before the switch off began. Not only that but the total cost of the PFI is £225m, for which the Council will receive £36m worth of streetlights.
Cllr Stanbra said “These figures really are astonishing. Yet again we see the Conservatives blind love affair with PFI obscuring value for money for the hard pressed taxpayers of Northamptonshire.”
“The facts are clear. Firstly, the annual cost of the PFI to NCC is £3.85million per annum which is 48% higher than the current street lighting budget.”
“Secondly the total cost of the PFI is £225 million for which the council will get £36 million worth of streetlights.”
“Thirdly even after adoption of the PFI there will still be 20,000 fewer streetlights than there were before the switch off started.”
“Finally, just to add insult to injury, at the end of the 25 year contract many of the streetlighting columns handed back to NCC will have a useful life of only 5 years and they will be in need of imminent replacement.”
“The Conservatives have completely botched this deal. It’s no surprise considering that they did not even consider a business case at the Cabinet meeting in June when they decided to go ahead with the PFI scheme. The Conservatives are proving their reputation for financial incompetence is well deserved.”