Lighting not switched on due to planning loophole

The steps have lights installed - but they are not currently being lit at night

Lighting along narrow public steps is not being switched on at night – because of a planning condition loophole.

Residents now claim the Cheltenham steps, which links Lower High Street to the Honeybourne Line, are "dangerous" and "unsafe" to use.

The steps were built following a planning application made in 2017 to demolish and redevelop 453 High Street.

Planning officers stipulated that the route required lights, but not that they needed to be switched on at night.

Cheltenham Borough Council approved the plans in 2017, its deputy mayor David Willingham said: “I have had complaints from constituents who feel these steps are dangerous at night due to the lighting not being turned on.

“I followed this up with planning enforcement, but they seem to be of the opinion that since the lights are present there is nothing they can do.

'Pointless'

“In my opinion, it is pointless requiring lights to be installed if they are not going to be turned on, and the common-sense approach would be to take action to require the building owner to illuminate them at night, as that was clearly the intention of the condition."

He added that the risk of financial liability to the building owner if someone trips and injures themselves due to the lack of lighting, "outweighs any cost savings from not turning these lights on".

A Cheltenham Borough Council spokesperson said: “We appreciate that it is disappointing that these lights are not being used.

“However as they are privately owned, belonging to the owners of the houses and flats, there is no breach of planning control. This means that we are unable to take enforcement action.

“We will be working with the county council to see whether another solution can be found.”